Guardians' Trust
by MistressYuu
Summary: AU-In a world where Tsuna had never met any of his Guardians. A loner at Nami-chuu, with a mysterious past concerning the mafia world. A different approach to how he get to know his friends.
1. A Tranquil Rained Morning

**Guardians Trust**

**By: MistressYuu**

**Disclaimer:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn does not belong to me nor does any of her characters. They all belong to Amano Akira, so support her by buying her manga when they come out!

AN: Warning! Tsuna is a little OOC and this story might be rated T (13+) or M (16+) in later chapter. Now please sit back and enjoy my first story! _

**Chapter 1: A Tranquil Rainy Morning **

"Dame-Tsuna move it" the short brunet teen was pushed to the side as a group of his classmates rushed pass him toward the school's gate just as the bell began to chimes. "Hibari-sempai is going to kill us if we're late! Hurry it up Takeshi-san!", yelled one of the boy not really stopping in his course to reach the school.

"Even so, there's no reason to push Tsuna-san aside Aoba-kun" Yamamoto Takeshi frowned. He was of course the star athlete of Namimori Middle School and most likable person to be around with his easy going smile and friendly attitude. Aoba hesitantly stop in his track to watch his friend extending his hand out to the fallen brunet. As his hand touched Tsuna's lower arm, Yamamoto's hand was quickly swapped away. Tsuna got himself off the ground, a look of fear upon his face.

"Tsuna-san?" Yamamoto asked worriedly seeing the distress within those huge brown orbs.

"S-sorry" Tsuna mumbled before giving an apologetics bow to the athlete. Then without any warning he rushes off not noticing the surprise athlete watching him with a confused sadness reflected within his own eyes.

Breathing deeply as he hid behind a locker, Tsuna felt a chill tear through his body as he remember the feeling of Yamamoto-san's hand on his skin for that single second. Rubbing it quickly as if it was being eaten alive, Tsuna tried to hold back his tears but was too late as they fell quickly from his face.

He hates it. He hates the feeling of having another person touching him, no matter how gentle, or warm those hands had been upon his skin, Tsuna knew better. He knew the pains that those hands could cause if he let them get too close and he was afraid. He _is_ afraid…afraid of the very people around him, even though he knew that these people were all weaker than him. He just hates the feeling of having others getting too close, but that was the very reason he was here.

Here being in school, filled with numerous of students roaming around. Yet Tsuna just couldn't help it; when he even made a slight brush against another, he would always move away at the slightly touch and because of his reflex toward those touches, he would always find himself losing his balance which had unfortunately earn him the nickname Dame-Tsuna at this small town school.

"Herbivore" the sound of calm death enter Tsuna's ears as he snapped up to his feet to see the Nami-chu's Disciplinary Committee leader towering over him with his tonfas out and ready to strike, "You are not allow to crowd the hall during class time", he notice the wet floor as Tsuna flinch away, "…nor leak a puddle on school property." He strike the tonfas at Tsuna before the boy could even give any excuse which Hibari would have consider worthless information anyway, but Tsuna surprised the older male by dodging his blows.

"I'll bite you to death" Hibari smirk as he watches Tsuna dodge his every strike despise his pleads for the disciplinary leader to stop. _The boy was indeed amusing entertainment._

"Hibari-sempai! Eek!" Tsuna missed the last strike as he tripped over the puddle of tears he had caused. Landing painfully on his back he got ready for the final hit, but it never came.

Hibari stepped back from the shorter boy, "Clean up the mess herbivore and head to class."

Tsuna was confused, Hibari Kyouya had been known not to forgive any rule breakers for anything less than a trip to the hospital, and seeing that he was still alive and well saved for a mere sore butt and back ache, he had to consider this to be his lucks changing. But that only brought an even more foreboding feeling seeing as how bad his lucks had always been. Something bad was going to happen.

"You sure have some nerves Dame-Tsuna" the boy from that morning, Aoba-kun had supposedly come for revenge for his bad manner toward Yamamoto-san.

Tsuna stayed quiet, seeing no point in trying to provoke the taller boy, but for some reason that only cause the opposite reaction.

"How dare you push Takeshi-san like that!", Aoba shoved him against the wall to prove his point, "You should show some respect." He pushed Tsuna again not noticing the way that Tsuna had withdraw from his touches or the growing terror in the brunet's eyes.

Tsuna was reaching his limit as he unconsciously reached into his jean's pocket for the switch knife, he had always carried around.

Luckily, for both sides Yamamoto had notice his friend action and followed after the two. He notices what Aoba hadn't, the fears within Tsuna's eyes.

Not hesitating at all, Yamamoto rushed over to stop Aoba from landing another punch against Tsuna just as the boy was about to pull out the knife.

"What are you doing Aoba-kun?" Yamamoto asked confusion written all over his face as he held the hand that was directed at Tsuna.

"Takeshi-san! I-I was just…" he stopped at Tsuna mumble.

Although, it was quiet, both Yamamoto and Aoba had caught what he said, it help since Tsuna had repeat it over and over like a mantra.

"Why, what Tsuna?", Yamamoto asked worriedly as he watch Tsuna slowly lift his face and saw confusion reflected on the boy's face.

"Why are you always getting in the way?" Tsuna shouted in anger, "Why are you always there when I'm about to snap? Why must you try to break my wall?" Tsuna finally quiet down, cover his mouth with both hand when he realized that he had been shouting those questions out loud.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto cautiously walks over to touch Tsuna on the shoulder only to get push away.

"STOP IT! Don't get close to me!" Tsuna yelled at the shocked athlete only to suddenly get hit from the head by a large green hammer.

Aoba ran off at the sudden attack from the invisible enemy as Yamamoto got closer to see if Tsuna was alright, only to be stopped by the sudden appearance of the owner of the green hammer, a one foot tall baby dress in a black suit topped with a black fedora. On his shoulder sat a green chameleon that was transformed from the hammer.

"Baka-Tsuna, I see you haven't change at all in my absent.", said the too-young-to-speak child.

"Reborn?" Tsuna eyes widen disbelievingly as the child settle himself on his shoulder, "Wha-what are you doing here?". Yamamoto watched as Tsuna's frown turns into a smile that he had never saw upon the boy face within the one year that he had known the boy.

"Baka. I came to see you of course." Reborn replies as he patted Tsuna like a little kid.

"Stop that! I'm not that helpless kid anymore" Tsuna complained but didn't pull away from the kid's touch.

Yamamoto couldn't help smiling with them, but a sudden call from his friend pulled him away from the two ignoring him. Normally, being ignored would've bother him, but seeing Tsuna smiling for once allows him to leave the two without any loathing, unnoticing the fact that the little kid was watching him out the corner of his eye.

"By the way Baka-Tsuna, who was that boy?" Reborn asked turning his attention back to his charge.

"He's just a classmate!" Tsuna shouted, "Don't involved him in our world Reborn!"

Reborn smirk knowingly as he watches Tsuna panic for the boy's safety, "Don't be such a loser baka, that boy is more skilled to be a hitman than even you." Tsuna's eyes widen in shock and fear at Reborn's words, "But don't worry, I won't be the one to pull him into our world."

"Really? You really won't do anything to Yamamoto?"

"I won't" Reborn single answer calmed the brunet for a moment before he handle Tsuna an envelope, "It a letter from the Ninth."

That one phase change Tsuna relieve into fear within seconds just as any other of Reborn's phrase. The baby always seems to know what to say or do to make Tsuna change his emotions instantly.

"The Ninth? What does he want exactly?" Tsuna asked despite not really wanting to know the answer.

"Everything in within the letter."

Tsuna looked down at the envelope in his hand as he reach for the opening, to suddenly pull his hand back due to a sudden flame erupting from the flap stopping him from opening the letter.

"What going on Reborn?" Tsuna looked over to the baby.

"That the Ninth's dying will flame." Reborn explained knowing that Tsuna didn't understand it at all. "You can only open it with your own dying will flame."

"How do I do that?" Tsuna looked shocked and confused. He had heard about the Vongola's infamous dying will flame before. The flaming weapons which had made Vongola the strongest mafia's family it is today, but he had never thought that it could be use as a seal.

"Figure it out yourself Baka-Tsuna." He kicked the teen on the head before landing gracefully on the ground, his back turn to Tsuna. "Another message from the Ninth, _Open the letter soon Tsunayoshi. For your own safety and those that care for you._"

Tsuna couldn't ask more when the bell suddenly rings singling the end of lunch and Reborn exit the school ground.


	2. Invading Midmorning's Storm

AN: Thank you to all of you who are following my story and those that given me reviews. I really appreciated that you took the time to type those few words of encouragement. Thank you! Here chapter two! ^_^

**Chapter 2: Invading Midmorning's Storm **

Among the students packing up their bags, and those that got ready for clubs, Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't help but stay back in his seat as he sort through his desk. Finding the envelop he got from Reborn stuffed inside his desk, Tsuna wonder upon the Ninth's message, "_Open the letter soon Tsunayoshi. For your own safety and those that care for you._"

A sudden explosion in the distance made him turns toward the window where most of his classmates had already gathered to see the source of the sound. Tsuna opted not to follow the others as the amount of people increase, 'it must be the firework from a sale' he concluded as he finished packing his bag and head out the classroom's door.

Thinking about his fridge, Tsuna was reminded that he should stop by the shopping district for his dinner. Reaching into his back pocket to find his wallet, he pulled it out once he found it at its usual place. The simple black leather two-fold wallet was wearing thin from it consistent uses, but Tsuna was more concern with the articles within where he found his two sheets of 1000 yens and a few yen coins. 'Only 6200 yens' Tsuna sighed as he wonders what he should do for the reminder of the month.

He knew he shouldn't have brought that fish, but the fishmonger was really assertive that day and he end up buying that fresh, sweet tasting, and mouth-melting bream. Yes that's right, it was just the common, you can find it anywhere in Japan's market, bream. Yet as he followed the direction to steam it as instructed by the old fishmonger, he was rewarded with such a heavenly aroma of flavors that he couldn't forget the taste even now. But thinking about that doesn't help him any in increasing his pocketbook nor will he get to eat that appetizing fish again. He was such an…

"Useless idiot!" the voice matched his thought, but it wasn't the sound of his own voice that had said it. Then the sudden crash of a body against the metal lamp pole snapped Tsuna out of his reverie as he paused before the duo fighting it out in the middle of the road. Two teens around his age group were fighting or more like one of them was beating the living day life out of the other. "You call yourself a citizen of this rundown city while you don't even know where Clam Street is located." The silver hair one spat.

The sudden 'eep' that escaped his lip at the sight of dynamites in the silver hair's hand, cause the Italian to turn his head, revealing pale porcelain skin, smooth, flawless features crafted perfectly onto his face if not for those sharp eyes and his angry frown; he could be confused for a male Victorian porcelain doll. His cold emerald eyes looked at Tsuna and the teen couldn't help but feel as if he was being lock into a fridge as his body froze.

"What do you want, kid?" the platinum blond glared at Tsuna and he fell back a step. "Well kid?", he asked once more causing Tsuna to fall flat on his bottom.

Gokudera wanted to growl when the brunette fell down. He could almost see the water work coming as he sigh and loosen his hold of the black hair teen in his hold. After all, he may be a mafioso, but making a young kid cry just leave a bad taste in his mouth and he didn't want that.

The male feeling his captor hold loosen took his chance to pull away before rushing toward the main road where the safety of number will protect him.

Gokudera looked shock for a moment but decide that the man wasn't worth his time to chase down anyway as he looked back at the kid still on the ground.

"Kid" he struggled to plaster on a gentle smile, but somehow it just turn into an aggravate glare with a lopsided grin.

Tsuna relaxed as he ascertains that Gokudera was no longer a danger. The teen was just one of those juvenile delinquents and the fact that he was asking for Clam street was just a coincidence since there was no way someone who was looking for him would have acted so openly. He was still safe.

Gokudera was surprised as the fear on the kid's face disappears so sudden as if he was just meeting the boy for the first time instead of minutes before. He wasn't even sure if it was even the same kid except for the fact that the boy still hadn't move from the ground. 'Perhaps the kid need help standing up', Gokudera thought as he reached for the boy's arm.

The unexpected touch made Tsuna snap away the taller boy's hand as he shift backward, rubbing his own hand over the arm that was touch as if it was hurt. His whole body shakes as the feeling of being eaten return. He wanted to run, yet something about the rough voice asking about his well being begin to bring him out of his nightmare.

Looking up, Tsuna saw worried green eyes staring at him, although with irritation, it was much more calming than any kind or gentle eyes could. Somehow he felt safe with this stranger despite the taller boy's temper.

Tsuna stood up quickly once his panic subsided and apologize to the taller teen.

Not knowing how to answer to the apology, Gokudera decided to forgo any small talk and head straight into getting the favor returned for helping the kid out of his mental turmoil, "You wouldn't happen you know where Hamaguri House is located do you?"

Tsuna's eyes widen as he realize that the silver hair was looking for his apartment. He quickly plaster on his poker face unfortunately for him, Gokudera noticed before his mind could come up with any excuses.

"Sorry I'm not really sure where that is." Tsuna was avoiding those pale green eyes as he quickly moves from the spot.

The hope in those green orbs flared as Gokudera watch the boy lies to him. There exist a long list of things that can make Gokudera tick and being lies to no matter by who made him want to stuff them with dynamites until they explodes and regrettably, Tsuna had just made the list as he grabbed the boy's arm before he was able to escape.

Upon the touch, Tsuna's body unconsciously reacts violently against Gokudera as he did a morote-dori, a double handed grab of the opponent's wrist, which causes the taller teen to be thrown over his head and on to the ground, backside down with a very surprised expression planted on his face.

Tsuna façade reflected Gokudera as he let go of the boy before running off.

Unable to take a loss from a kid, Gokudera, raced after the poor boy. Streets after streets as the numerous buildings flashes pass his view; his mind solely focuses on the young boy forgetting his original task. He slides around a corner to see the boy escaping into a door on the second floor of an apartment building, which he figures was the boy's home.

Jumping three at a time up the stairs, he reaches the floor with ease and start banging on the door without consideration for the neighbors as he demand that Tsuna come out for a rematch.

Inside his one-room apartment, Tsuna slide down against the door, the vibration of Gokudera's pounding numbed to his sense as the chilling fear spread throughout his interior. His irregular heartbeats warn of the danger he was in. Why was that man looking for him? Could it be that he been found? Tsuna shook his head as he pushed away from the door.

The pounding on the wooden frame still loud enough to be heard from the whole apartment, but Tsuna ignored the petulant man and instead moved deeper into his home. Reaching the dresser in the corner, Tsuna opened the bottom most drawer. Ransacking within his mess of clothes, he pulled out his trusty HK pistol and a box of 9mm cartridge. Loading the magazine into the gun itself, Tsuna switch off the safety-lock as he headed back toward the still noisy door.

Gokudera was getting tired of pounding on the door and it didn't help that the other residents had started coming out to inspect the cause of the noise. But he refused to give up after being made such a fool. How could he, the Smoking-bomb Hayato get beaten up by an elementary kid. He would like to know how that shrimp had beaten him so easily. Sure, he had lets his guard down with the kid, but still he shouldn't have been lifted over the boy's body and the fact that the kid had known that address he was looking for was brothering him.

He stopped his pounding as an afterthought appears within his mind and just out of curiosity he looked over to one of the apartment's tenant.

The guy retreat a step back, but he keeps his door open to a crack out of his own curiosity.

"Hey" Gokudera growled out of annoyances for the guy's fear, "What is this apartment's name?"

"H-Hamaguri House" the man squeaks before quickly shutting his door with a slam, fear winning over curiosity after all.

Upon learning the building's name, Gokudera direct his attention toward the name plate, reading Sawada, Room B27 as his face turns an interesting shade of green.

It was quiet. Too quiet to Tsuna's ears as the sound of pounding stop just as he was about to fire. Lowering his gun, Tsuna inched his way toward the door, stretching his ears as much as he could so that he could catch any little sound outside. He cursed himself for not getting a room with a peep hole, but the high level security and cheap pricing of the location, had won him over. He should have known that cheap wouldn't guarantee safe. That would be too perfect. Where were those security measures he was promised when he brought the place anyway?

Tsuna jumps when another knock sounded at his door, a much more polite and softer knock. Could the security guards have captured the silver head Mafioso outside the door and is now knocking to let him know it was safe?

Making sure that his chain lock was still tightly locked, and his gun hidden from the door's view, Tsuna slowly unlock the door and drag it open enough for him to look outside.

The moment he did, he regrets his decision and slams the door shut again only to notice that it doesn't want to close. Looking down, he saw that it was because of the silver hair teen's foot. It'd looked painful, but Tsuna didn't want to take chances so he didn't reopen the door nor did he push harder.

"WAIT DECIMO!" Gokudera grabbed onto the doorframe with his hand as he pull himself forward, despite the pain shooting through his whole body from the leg he managed to struggle forward, "Signor Reborn send me…" he was able to say as Tsuna's hands loss feeling and the gun in his hand fell to the floor. He knows it was a foolish thing to do, since if what the boy had said was a lie, Tsuna would have loss his life at that very moment. However, it wasn't the fact that Reborn's name came up that he lose his strength, but the fact that Gokudera had called him "Decimo?"

He looked up at the other seeing the honesty in his grey-green eyes that somehow calm him. Pulling himself back together, he signal to Gokudera to move back which the boy stubbornly refused afraid that he would be locked out again.

"I can't open the door if you won't let me release the chain." Tsuna finally explained as he point toward the chain holding the door from opening farther.

Gokudera tentatively pull his hand and feet back out the door as Tsuna slam the door close. For a second, Gokudera wonder if he did the correct thing by allowing the boy to shut the door, but his worry was futile when the sound of the chain sliding off the lock was heard and the door soon welcome him in with a wide entrance.

"Thank you Decimo" Gokudera limped his way in as Tsuna guide him toward the low table not ten feet away. Flopping down on one of the cushion, Gokudera was surprise when Tsuna didn't join him but head to the kitchen to make coffee.

However, when he came back Tsuna wasn't carrying any coffee within the two cup but some green liquid, and next to them was a small first aid kit. Gokudera extend his hand for the box knowing it must have been for him.

Tsuna tossed the box over to the Italian without question as he place the two cups of green tea down on the table.

Gokudera looked shock, he wouldn't expect that the person he was looking for would be so…so…what was the word he was looking for _uncharismatic_? Couldn't the boy just give him the box without trying to pick a fight? What's more the boy was weak-looking, short, and baby-face; no special aura nor any traits that would want to make you loyal to him. He gives off the feeling of a broken robot. _Could Vongola really survive with him as the future boss?_

The boy definitely holds the top spot on his list of '_things he hates'_.

Tsuna watched in irritation as Gokudera fumble with the bandage, obviously having never treated his own wound before as he wasted another piece of perfectly good bandage.

"Grrr, just give that here!" Tsuna extended his hand for the tape as Gokudera open another pack seeing as his first one was tangling together in a mess on Tsuna's perfectly clean floor.

"That's okay. I can handle it myself." He reached in the box for yet another pack of tape, only to receive a glare of hate so powerful that his first thoughts about the boy had disappeared.

"Just give me your foot!" Tsuna growled, grabbing Gokudera's swollen ankle which earn a howl of pain from the silver haired Italian as he clutch onto the cushion below him. "Sheesh, who would stick their foot out like that anymore, who do you think you are, some pushy salesman? What's more you can't even treat your own wound, spoil brat."

Gokudera would have beaten the crap out of the smart-mouth kid if he wasn't in so much pain, but since he was he couldn't even yell at Tsuna. He was anything but a spoil brat. At the age of only seven he had to learned the terrible true of his mother, his older step-sister had tried to poison him numerous times, and he had always survive on his own, so what if he doesn't know how to treat his own wounds. _They were just scratches that would heal even if you left them alone. _

So engulfed with his own memories, he did notice the slight shaking from the boy's cold hand which smoothed his pain. He stayed silence the entire time as Tsuna care for his ankle.

"What did Reborn send you for?" the question broken the silence as Gokudera looked over to see that his foot had been taken care of with surprising ease and experiences. He couldn't even feel the pain anymore, until what Tsuna had said reach his brain and cause him to look up.

"Reborn? How close are you to signor Reborn?" Gokudera asked completely forgetting his assignment.

Tsuna, however, didn't allow him to forget it as he glared at the taller teen which sends a strange chill through him, not really one's of fear, but an emotion he could put his hand on.

"What did he want?", Tsuna's face returns to normal seeing the look on Gokudera's visage, "Why didn't he just tell me when we met this morning?", but knowing Reborn, he already had a suspicion about the little hitman's reason. And seeing that Gokudera had called him 'Decimo' a while ago he was pretty positive that it had to do with the Ninth's order.

"Signor Reborn send me here to be your body guard." Gokudera stated professionally, straighten up as he tried to present himself to the future boss of Vongola.

"No thanks" Tsuna shot him down bluntly, "I don't need your protection so go home."

Gokudera would have tossed the boy a whirlwind of dynamites for his insult if not for the large green hammer knocking the boy out first. Frozen in shock, Gokudera couldn't even response to protecting his own head from being hit by the same hammer as he just shut his eyes in preparation of the pains.

It didn't come. Opening his eyes, he saw the reason. Tsuna was standing before him holding the handle of the hammer as he blocks the punch directed at him with his left hand. Following the other hand, a smaller one up to their owner, Gokudera was surprised to see Reborn smiling.

No one had ever seen the baby hitman's smile before. Sure there were smirks and grins, but never a true smile showing happiness and pride. On the other hand, the look on Tsuna's face reflected the opposite of his tutor as a spine chill glare of anger flash within those huge orbs.

"Reborn" the anger clearly direct at the hitman, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Your was for being foolish and this's…" the baby pull back from his position as Leon, his partner chameleon, shift into it's gun form allowing the hitman to fire a shot aimed at Gokudera, "for thinking about betrayal".

Everything became slow motion as Gokudera just watch the bullet closing in on him, knowing that there was no way to escape from Reborn once the green chameleon turns into it's gun form. He only wishes he could had explained to the hitman that he wasn't thinking of betrayal, only that he wanted to blow the boy up for his insult. _Guess thinking about blowing up the next head of the Vongola is a traitorous' thought after all._ Heh, he felt foolish and deserve to die for being a traitor.

So absorb in his self loathing, Gokudera accepted his punishment wholeheartedly. This is why he became so surprise when a yellow blur enter his field of vision as the bullet made a hit.

He watched as the blur cleared and the image of a boy…a yellow school uniform…a mop of brown hair…fell to the floor before him. On his chest a splash of red tinted his white undershirt, the honey-brown orbs shut close as a pain filled expression planted on the boy's face.

"D-Decimo?" Gokudera couldn't understand how it could have happen, but it did. The boy had jumped in front of him just as the bullet hit. He had protected him.

But Gokudera just couldn't understand why? Why did the next Vongola Decimo protect him? He who is nothing but a lowly bastard born from a mistress who was killed for being in love with a low rank mafia boss? Why did this boy protect him?

"Because he too kind" Reborn answered him as if the hitman had read his mind. "Tsuna is and will never be fitted to be a Mafia Boss. His heart is too kind for the dark world we lived in, but Tsuna would always protect those that are his friends. That is the true reason we made you his bodyguard. To give him something to protect and make him stronger as the future boss of Vongola."

Gokudera felt insulted as Reborn hit him with the truth, "To be protected?" he couldn't accept that. A young kid had to die to protect him? Even if this was the great Reborn he was talking to, he just couldn't forgive the hitman for assigning him this type of assignment.

"Don't misunderstand" Reborn's glare silenced his rage as fear froze him once more. As a child born into the world of the mafia, he had seen many scary and unspoken stuff, but never before had a glare made him froze like he was now, "you are not brought here only to be protected, but to protect him with your own existent. Your life is nothing compare to him."

"Then WHY?" Gokudera anger overcame his own fear as he held on to the cold body on his lap, "Why did you kill him?"

Reborn grin making Gokudera flare up in anger as he gently move Tsuna off his lap to stand up. Not noticing the pain in his leg as he grab his favorite instrument of destruction, dynamites, out of who knows where on his body and aim them at Reborn.

The little hitman jump out of the way with ease as his grin grew larger at the Italian's rage.

The sound of explosions was the first sound that awakens Tsuna as he lay on the cold tatami carpet of his room. His mind trying to wrap around the reason for him to be on the floor when there was sound of explosion around. Images of Gokudera and Reborn pop into his head as he quickly sat up to see his room being destroy by dynamites as Gokudera threw another at Reborn only to have it miss and destroy his kitchen.

"What are you guys doing to my home?"

Gokudera's turns toward the voice to see the guy who was shot dead a moment ago while protecting him was up and moving. His face angry as painful tears clouded his brown orbs. The red liquid still dripping from his chest as he move from his crater on the floor to the strip of cloths hanging from his window which used to be curtains, then toward the pile of woods and papers, which was once a small book shelf.

Tsuna couldn't find it in himself to go farther toward his kitchen which was still smoking as if something had burn in the oven, but he knew better. His whole house was destroyed by those two mafiosos! He send them both a deep glare which even gotten Reborn to stop grinning at Gokudera.

Gokudera wanted to ask how Tsuna was still alive, but seeing the anger within those blazing brown eyes had silence him from questioning the boy. The only thought his mind would provide was "RUN".

He didn't know if he said it out loud or if it was Reborn, but both made their escapes at the same moment leaving Tsuna to slam his door on them on the way out with shout to not come back. EVER!


	3. School

AN: Thanks again to all my wonderful readers. Those who took their time to reviewed my story, an extra thank you to you!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: School<strong>

Tsuna doesn't know why he end up letting the two Italians stay at his home after they had destroyed it, but with nowhere else for them to turn to, he allowed them to stay the night.

"But that was three days ago! When are you two going to leave?", he yelled on his way toward school not even noticing the stares he was getting from the students around him.

"I can't leave yet Dame-Tsuna" Reborn stated, "My job isn't finish until you open that letter from the Nono."

Nodding Gokudera added his own reason, "I was assigned to be your bodyguard, Decimo", his tone totally different from when they first met, happy and proud to be servicing the next Vongola's boss.

Tsuna sighed, he was told of the same reasons fifteen times already when he had asked before, yet he just couldn't accept such lame reasons for still staying at his home and following him almost everywhere. The last two days, he had somehow managed to lose the silver hair bomber part way to school, but today, he seems even more motivated to stick to him like gum on paper, never letting Tsuna out of his sigh even once.

"Could you a least stay somewhere else?" he asked still angry about waking up to half his home destroyed, then finding his clothes stained with red ink. Yes, that was right. Reborn had decided that it would be fun to shot people with red ink bullets coated with anesthesia in order to get the other people in the area to freak out. 'A lesson in the death of a friend' he had claimed.

Friend. That word is a mystery to Tsuna, even though he was pretty sure he knew the definition of the word itself, but he still couldn't truly understand such a vague word. _A person who gives assistance and support…attach to the other…not hostile. Don't make me laugh. Such a person can't really be call a friend_. Tsuna face turn sour at his own thoughts as he ignored Gokudera who was explaining that they don't have the money to stay at a hotel and something about better protection.

Reborn stopped in his walk, sensing the change in his student. With a tilt of his fedora, he made a quick decision and disappeared from the two teens still heading toward the school; Tsuna in his own world while Gokudera explained that he must be near his boss 24/7 to protect him.

"Here we are Decimo!" Gokudera exclaimed bringing Tsuna back from his deliberation.

"Gokudera-kun" Tsuna sighed, a bit embarrassed now that he notice the stares looking at him, "Please don't be so loud and I told you not to call me Decimo."

Gokudera just looked at him in wonder then gave him a wide smile of understanding, "Ok, I understand, you don't feel comfortable being called Decimo right?"

Tsuna nodded his head happily glad that Gokudera had finally understood.

"I know how it feels. To be call the Tenth in Italian when you are Japanese." Tsuna slowed his nod getting a bad feeling as he wonder if he should continue to agree with Gokudera, "You want to be call Juudaime!"

"No!" Tsuna tried to explain when Hibari appear and start knocking students left and right for crowing around instead of getting to class. Tsuna hurried in seeing Hibari closing in, as Gokudera waved good bye. He decided to straighten Gokudera out once he got home, rather than infuriating Hibari-sempai by being late to class or so he thought…

"Class" the homeroom teacher called for the attention of the class as Tsuna sat looking out the window like he always does expecting the teacher to start the morning's announcement then his routine morning roll call. But it never came, instead his Sensei reveal something that drawn the whole class attention toward him, "We got a new student today and I would like you to welcome him."

The whole class became silent, all head flew toward the front as the last new student to have enter this school had been Tsuna and before him was three years ago before Hibari Kyouya became the school Disciplinary Committee Chairman in his first year. Who was this new student to be able to brave coming to the school belonging to Hibari Kyouya?

The mystery was uncovered when the sliding door open and in walk "Gokudera Hayato", fourteen years-old, 5'6", silver hair Italian delinquents that the teacher and the rest of the class notice was not in 'standard' Nami-Chuu Uniform!

Before any personal thoughts could enter their minds, the whole class was in a panic trying to find a spare uniform for their new classmate before he became the newest victim of Hibari Kyouya. Boys were seen plundering through their bags, as the girls bravely ran up to Gokudera trying to undressed him.

When one of the boys finally found a the standard yellow coat baring the school crest from his bag and tried to force Gokudera into it, the Italian started pulling out dynamites, threatening the next fool who dare step near him.

Most of his classmates ignored his claim, believing those candle sticks to be fireworks and with fear of Hibari Kyouya looming closer as time tick forward, they begin to quicken their paces.

Tsuna jumped out of his seat to helped once he realizes that Gokudera wasn't going to give up his favorite too small-to-fit-after-three-years black shirt with a white skull printed at the center. Miraculously, the girls had somehow manage to get him to give up the light gray jacket he was wearing, but the Italian doesn't look like he would give up the black shrit.

Tsuna grabbed the yellow coat from a male student as images of Hibari destroying the whole class clouded his mind. He forced the yellow uniform on the bomber, ignoring the few drop sticks of dynamites and the excited cried of fangirls when Gokudera's was tackle to the floor. He button up the suit to hide the black shirt instead of getting the boy into a white collar shirt. A spare blue tie from the teacher quickly drape around the fair Italian as Gokudera wonder why the fuss.

Once fully dressed, the whole class let out a big sigh of relief just as the classroom door pulls open revealing the black coat of Namimori Middle's Disciplinary Committee uniform as Hibari step in the room. The whole class once again panic, only this time a silence, froze-in-their-seat panic as Hibari slowly exam the room for any mischief.

He paused before the irritated Gokudera. The air of the class tensed as the silver hair teen glare at the prefect examining him. Tsuna silently pray to whomever gods there was to let Gokudera pass inspection.

As Hibari turns away without lifting his tonfas, the tense atmosphere seems to lessen. There was not going to be any punishment…or at least that was what the class had thought, until Hibari walked toward the teacher's desk. He bends down and pick up one of the dynamite that Gokudera had dropped. As he straighten back up, the panic level of the room rise with him.

"Who brought weapons to school?", he asked in a calm and lazy tone as if he doesn't really care, while the truth was so much more different as the sense of blood-lust peak for a single second. "Bringing weapons on campus is against the school code."

"Eek!" Tsuna panic, standing up from his seat, seeing Gokudera about to argued with Hibari of the unfairness in his statement. After all Hibari's tonfas never left his side and the whole school know it.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi", Hibari confront the voice that challenged his present.

"Those are mine!", Tsuna blurted out, "They're…they're _c-candle _I brought this morning. I'm sorry for not taking it back home first." He quickly bowed, his face hitting the desk on the way down causing him to shot back up just as quickly but before he could rub his hand to his thumping head, they became occupied with catching the dynamite thrown toward him.

Hibari smile as he turns toward the door, "I look forward to the day I get to bite you to death." He said just before exiting the room.

Gokudera wanted to chase after the prefect to give him a piece of his mind for his threat, but he was stopped by the teacher who seems to have regained his confident after Hibari's disappearance.

"Gokudera Hayato will now introduce himself.", he stated as if the last five minutes didn't even existed. The rest of the class followed his lead even though each of them secretly wonder if _Dame-Tsuna had really just stood up to the Hibari Kyouya?_

Needless to say, Gokudera was confused, but seeing as Tsuna didn't push the topic as the boy sat back down, he let it go…for now.

Gokudera forgoes the introduction as he went over to the seat next to Tsuna's right where Yamamoto was seated.

Glaring at the smiling boy as Yamamoto wonders what Gokudera want. Tsuna panic rises once again when Gokudera slam his palm upon Yamamoto's desk.

The whole class was watching since usually desk where assigned by the teacher after an introduction was made, but the silver hair teen had just bypass everything and made his way toward Yamamoto, the star athlete of Nami-Chuu.

"Could they know each other?"

"They're friends?"

"Two handsome guys together, could it be?"

Gokudera ignored the chattering of the class as he ordered Yamamoto to "Move" The hopes of the fangirls die as the others looked bemused. As for Yamamoto, the jock just continues to sit there smiling at the other.

"Couldn't you hear?" Gokudera growled, "I told you to move so that I could sit next to Juudaime!"

"Juudaime?" Yamamoto asked looking around his desk to see who Gokudera was talking about. He didn't know anyone by that nickname and he secretly pride himself on knowing everyone in his class. Looking over to his left he saw Tsuna covering his head with both his arms as if to block everything out and was surprise.

"Tsuna-san?", he pointed at the shorter boy earning a flinch from the said boy as Gokudera growled louder in affirmation.

Yamamoto smile as something fun enter his mind, "No way! I'm Tsuna's best friend so I should have this seat."

Tsuna flinch again, out of surprise, happiness, or fear, he wasn't quite sure as he unglued himself from his desk to look up at Yamamoto, bewildered. What was he saying? Best friend? Him? And did he just drop the honorifics on my name?

The whole class seems to be thinking the same as everyone just watch Gokudera glared at the smiling boy.

"So what? If you really's Juudaime's best friend, then you should know that only his right hand man can sit on his right, best friend or not." Gokudera countered as a dumbfound expression appear upon Yamamoto's face.

"Oh…some best friend you are, not even knowing about Juudaime's posti-mmph-" Tsuna had jumped out of his desk, covered Gokudera's mouth then he dragged the troublemaker out the class before the teacher or any of his classmates could to do anything.

Out in the hall Gokudera wondered what he had done wrong to earns a glare from Tsuna. Seeing the 'kick-puppy'-look on his self-proclaim right hand man, Tsuna soften his glare into a resigned frown.

"What are you doing here Gokudera-kun?", he ask instead of his plan to tell the boy off about his behaviors in class.

"To protect you Juudaime!", he answered pompously like a loyal puppy answering his master call.

Tsuna got mix feelings; one, he was agitated by the statement in which he had already explained was not necessary. Two, he was a little happy at how much Gokudera would do to protect him. Three couldn't just tell Gokudera how he hated that very idea.

The first time he had tried the bomber had turns totally depress on him and had locked himself in Tsuna's only bathroom preventing Tsuna and anyone else from using the toilet for almost ten hours straight. On the second time, Gokudera had sobbed all over his clothes begging him to at least let him stay at the apartment. The third, Gokudera had brother him during his sleep and he woke up with a really hurt foot due to hitting his leg on the kotatsu where he was sleeping. By the thirteenth time, Gokudera had turns into a beaten up puppy who was still so insistent on protecting it's master and Tsuna had resigned to ignoring the teen, which doesn't really seem to be working too well.

Tsuna didn't dare to continue down this path of being a terrible master…wait what was he thinking, he's not a _master_ and Gokudera is not a _dog_! Tsuna ruffled his hair in panic as Gokudera looked on worriedly.

"Are you alright, Juudaime?"

"Gggrrr! Stop contaminating my mind!" Tsuna shouted at the Italian before reopening the class sliding door. He paused before entering and turns back to face Gokudera, "Gokudera-kun, I don't need you to protect me!", he walked over to his desk totally ignoring everyone else as he seated himself and for once got ready to pay attention to the teacher.

As the bell signal lunch, Tsuna wonder if he had been too harsh on Gokudera seeing the bomber had followed him back into class and had accepted the seat that he was assigned without complaining despite being seated two seats forward and one seat right from Tsuna's position. The teen had stayed silence throughout the class except just once to answer the teacher extremely hard and mistakenly put up university level math question. And he did it with ease and accuracy that amazed the whole class. _Guess that was how he got in the school_.

The grumbling of his stomach prevent him from going over to the depressed teen, reminding him that he lost dinner that first night they met, plus the lack of meals he was suffering through in order to save enough for the repair cost of his home!

Another rumble lugged his attention toward the silver hair teen who was unfortunately suffering the same misfortunate as him. _Maybe he should calls truce._ That's intent was also blown away from his mind as three girls walk over to Gokudera with their own lunch.

"Gokudera-kun, want to have lunch with us?"

"If you forgot your lunch, wanna have some of mine?"

"I share with you too!"

He hates him. Sawada Tsunayoshi hates Gokudera Hayato. That was the only conclusion Tsuna could come up with as he put his head back down on his desk, hoping that maybe sleep would help him get over his hungers.

"Hey Tsuna!", Yamamoto's cheery voice from the next desk over prevent him from falling into his dream world as he look up to see what the jock star wanted.

As always, Yamamoto was surrounded by a pack of boys as they also looked over, seeing Yamamoto talking to his so called 'best friend'.

"I made too many mistakes today when I was practicing this morning, do you want some?" Tsuna was confused. Practice this morning? Baseball practice? Mistakes? Want some? Does he means, do I want some of his bad luck during practice?

"What do you means?" Tsuna decided it was better to just ask instead of forming his own wild conclusion. Yamamoto brought out his lunchbox in answer.

"Some sushi", the box that was open produced the most mouthwatering, colorful, perfectly shaped and molded sushi Tsuna had ever seen. He could feel his throat swallow as the sweet and sour smell of vinegar tickle his nose. The famous Takesushi's unagi sauce of salty sweetness filled the air around him teasing him to take a bite. The sweet red gingers mixed with soy sauce and freshly grounded wasabi just make him want to jump into the tiny box, but Tsuna held back as he silently cursed Yamamoto for mocking him.

The boy must have notice that Tsuna hadn't brought any lunchs for the last two days and is now mocking him with foods. After all who would believe those were 'mistakes' that he made. Those sushi looked like they were made by a professional chef. The boys behind him seems to agreed as they tried to obtain Yamamoto's attention.

"No, thanks" Tsuna turned away, tears flowing down his eyes like rivers as he curse the teen sitting next to him. His stomach, however, disagreed with him as it gave another rumble causing Tsuna to quickly clench his stomach as if to silence it.

Yamamoto laughed as he moves away from the crowd of disregarded boys around his desk to pull out the seat in front of Tsuna. Sitting down on the plastic seat, Yamamoto leans over the back of the seat as he placed the box on Tsuna's desk.

"Come on, have some. I know these are bad, but I work hard on them, so I can at least guarantee it's edible." Yamamoto declared as he passed Tsuna a pair of chopstick.

Tsuna didn't know what to say seeing as he had suspected the jock for making fun of him a moment before. So he decided to try it. Taking the chopstick from Yamamoto's hand, Tsuna gave a little prayer of thanks before reaching in for a piece. Just as he had thought, there was no way these sushi were made by an amateur.

"So what do you think?" Yamamoto asked smiling his simple-minded smile.

Tsuna couldn't help but smile as well, "They're delicious!"

Yamamoto had to take a double-take as he found himself blushing slightly, having never considered that Tsuna could smile so cutely at him or even smile at all for that matter since the boy had never once smile within the one year they had known each other. He had always thought that Tsuna had a froze-poker-face disorder or something.

Gokudera growled as he watches the two from his desk. How did that airhead put such a smile on his boss' face? Why could he be the one to make his boss smile? What was that jock feeding his beloved boss? Foods…poisons? Panic, Gokudera ignored the girls still standing around his desk asking him some questions he didn't care about as he stood up and push them aside.

"Juudaime!" he cried, "what did this idiot made you eat?", he pointed at Yamamoto's face a little too close to the eyes, but the jock didn't move from his seat sensing that Gokudera had control enough to stop from touching him.

Tsuna looked surprised, but sighed once he realizes the worries on Gokudera's mind. It's the same worries he used to have when he was still training under Reborn, "It's not poisoned, Gokudera-kun. You don't have to worry." After all, poisons are common within the mafia. "There's no danger here in Namimori." Seeing that the Mafioso was still worried, Tsuna faced Yamamoto, "Can Gokudera-kun have some as well?"

"Sure" Yamamoto didn't hesitate as he pushed the box over to Gokudera.

The bomber didn't savior the taste like Tsuna as he just took a bite out of a piece, trying to find any hint of strange taste. None. He became depressed once he realized that he was probably only acting out of jealousy for the boss favoriting the so-called best friend.

"So how does it taste?" Gokudera glared at the jock before turning to report to Tsuna, "There's no problem with the food, Juudaime."

Tsuna could help it. He laughed. He laughs at how Gokudera was pouting over something so frivolous. How much the boy could worried about him. And the look of surprise on the two's faces over his own laugh. The whole class, surprised as well, turns from what they were doing to see the loner-boy with no talent and no emotion laughing.

"Dame-Tsuna is laughing?"

"What'd happened?"

"Did the world flipped?"

Tsuna stopped once he realized the attentions he had draws, he however, kept his smile on his face, "Gokudera-kun, if you worried too much, you'll goes bald you know." He joked as the bomber stood like a statue not knowing how to react to his boss' simple statement. As for Tsuna he decided it was best to just eat as much as he could while he still can and reached his chopstick back into the box.

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><p>I bet you guys and gals had been expecting the next guardian appearance or something right? Sorry this chapter is more like a filler or a continuation of the last chapter. I just thoughts that maybe I should add some events that show that Tsuna was developing a bond with his new friends instead of just having them meet and they just happen to be the best of friends. Tell me what you think: Should I continued adding these little fillers to my story or should I just get to the main plot?<p>

Next chapter, I will bring an extreme character to our story!


	4. Persistently Intense Sun at Noon

AN: Sorry about the delay on this chapter, Ryohei was a bit hard for me since he usually doesn't stand out much among the guardians so I wanted to make him stand out a little more in my story. Also to those who had requested characters appearance, you will be happy to know that I will include as many of KHR main characters as I can into my story. It just going to take time for me to come up with ideas on how to let them meet Tsuna. Again thank you to all your reviews and don't worry about the insults. I love to hear your thoughts.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Persistently Intense Sun at Noon<strong>

"Juudaime…"Gokudera whined as Tsuna packed his bag. It was after school and every student were once again getting ready to head home or preparing for their club activities. Gokudera was told to report to the principal office to finished filing out his application and Yamamoto had offered to guide him there.

"Don't worry Gokudera-kun, I'm just heading to the shopping district to get dinner" _and see if there's a job opening_. Tsuna added the last part in his mind not wanting any troubling complains from the bomber. By now he was sure that Gokudera would cry in worries about him having a job. But he really need to find a job soon seeing as his pocket book had deflated quite a bits with two extra 'freeloaders' to feed. Tonight dinner would no doubt be rice with furikake. That's definitely not dinner!

"You're head straight home after that right?" Gokudera asked as Yamamoto cupped the Italian's neck with one arm.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera-kun. You're like a mother hen. Tsuna isn't a kid anymore. We'll see you later Tsuna." He waved good-bye as he pulled the Italian out the class' door.

"Don't worry Gokudera-kun." Tsuna shouted after them, not wanting the bomber to worry, "I get home straight away."

…Or at least that was what he had planned to do. But like so many of his plans before, it was foiled before he even gotten the chance to act, when a group of his female classmates had encircle him.

"Sawada, we need to talk"

When girls start saying that ever infamous phase, you know it's never a good thing, as Tsuna was forced to follows them out the class and across the courtyard.

Normally, Tsuna would have chosen to ignored them, however, he was surround with no way out as six others girls block all of his other escape paths. If he was still training under Reborn, the baby would have shoot at him until he jumps over them, however, Tsuna didn't think that was a good idea and just pushing past them will just lead to him being force to touch them. The very idea gave him the dreaded feeling being eaten.

As the girls lead him across the campus, Tsuna mind conjured up the reason for their actions and only one possible conclusion came up; those girls had wanted to talk to him about Yamamoto and Gokudera. They had only appeared after those two had left and he recognize two of the girls as huge admirers of Yamamoto and three of them being those girls who had came up to Gokudera today at lunch. Although he didn't recognized two of them, he was sure that they were also fans of Gokudera or Yamamoto.

A break in formation as one of the girls got distracted by her friends in the distance allowing Tsuna to uses that change to escape. Surprised by his sudden actions, some of those girls cursed, while those that were able to remain calm chased after him.

Tsuna could hear them shouting for him to stop as he turns the corner heading toward the clubs' rooms. Tsuna, however, didn't stop, he could guess what those girls were probably to do. They were to going warn him to stay away from their crushes. There was no way he was going to just stay and listen to them. He finally found people beside Reborn, who he didn't mind being neared. He stopped by his own thought, "People he didn't mind being near?" Sure it was just only three people, but when did those two starts to worm their way in?

"There he is!" the sound of one of the girls got him to start running again. After a few turns, he decided that it might be better to just hide from them for the time being. Without consideration about his action, he opens a door and enters.

The room he found himself in was huge with multiple sandbags and punching bags hanging from the ceiling. Lights shine brightly upon the two stages at the center. Each surrounded by four one-inch thick ropes tied around the four poles rising five feet from the ground. Two stools sat in opposite corner from each other on each platform. The large banner across from him, written in a huge, bold, brush stroke character was the word 'EXTREME'. He was in the school's notorious boxing club of danger!

Tsuna wanted to creep back out when the sound of groaning grabbed his attention.

On one of the two scaffolds, two well toned muscle bound teens were trying to knock their opponent out with those huge boxing gloves. Around that ring more half-dressed male students were cheering for their friend to win.

A sudden intense sensation made him turns away from the crowd and toward the training area. At one of the sandbag, a platinum blond boxer cut through his attention as he sense danger from the older teen.

An overwhelming aura brighter than the shining light upon those rings seems to radiance from the boxer as he pulled back his arm, taking a deep breath as he focus all his strength into his fist. Tsuna was reminded of a slingshot being prepared for an attack. He wasn't disappointed, when the boxer releases his stand, allowing that fist to make contact with the punching bag. A faint shockwave washed over him as his eyes widen, noticing that even though the single jab had landed on the bag, the heavy sandbag didn't even move an inch.

Too busy to notice, the other members continued to cheer as Sasagawa Ryohei pull back his punch, it was as if he was a timer going off because after a few second of delay, the sandbag finally exploded, spitting sand on to the floor.

The others finally turn his way, when the sound of the bag thumped onto the wooden floor, it's iron chain snapping from the sudden force.

"Sasagawa-sempai!" one of the shorter member of the club rush over to the older teen as he look proudly at his handy work, "Not again!", the boy whined as the older one just check to make sure that his bandages was still tightly wrapped around his hands. "Weren't you supposed to be taking it easy until your match tomorrow?"

"Hmph. It's because I have a match tomorrow that I need to practice." Ryohei countered not feeling sorry about his action at all.

"Still you didn't need to break another bag", the boy cried as the rest of his fellow members agreed with him.

"Indeed. You know that Hibari-sempai will not order another bag unless we win the district championship, Ryohei-shushou." One of the boxers in the ring said, jumping off the stage to join his captain and fellow boxer.

"So all we need to do is to EXTREMLY WIN!" Ryohei roared, earning an 'Eeeek!' from the surprised Tsuna.

The whole club turns to face him, seeing that they had all gotten used to Ryohei's loudness and a show of fear or surprise was uncommon in this club room.

Tsuna was sweating bullets as Ryohei walk toward him. _What could the boxer want? To hit him?_ He was sure he wouldn't survive that punch as a hand landed on his shoulder.

Tsuna couldn't help it! He grabbed onto that hand as if it belonged to the devil, and once again performed the morote-dori, the same double-hold that flipped Gokudera onto the concrete street.

The boxer, however, was prepared as he pulled back his hand and got into his upright stance, silently challenging the brunet to a match. "Hey now, that was an extreme move you did there!" Ryohei didn't notice the shaking from Tsuna as he bopped his way closer getting ready to perform his own move on the boy.

He fired a sudden straight which Tsuna dodged with surprised.

"Not bad!", he went in for a jab, which once again Tsuna escape regardless of the lighting fast speed the hand had travel. A smile appears upon Ryohei's face as surprises penetrate the crowd around them.

Tsuna dodged blows after blows at lightning speed as Ryohei wonder why he never notice such an extreme fighter on school ground before. It would be extremely awesome to have the boy in his club. They could win the championship so easily, if only the boy would attack as well.

Ryohei stopped, his body telling him that three minutes had passed, "Not bad, but you need to attack as well if you want to win!" He prepared to get ready once again, "I'll let you join the boxing club, if you beat me!"

Tsuna froze from surprised, "Sorry! I'm not here to join!", he shouted catching Ryohei's loudness.

"Why not?" Ryohei screamed even louder, "The boxing club is perfect for extreme guys like us!", he claimed walking toward Tsuna with plan to shake some sense into the boy.

Getting a really bad vibes from the boxer, Tsuna took a deep quick bow, "Sorry!", he shouted. Then before Ryohei or any of the other members were able to comprehended what was going on, he escaped out the door behind him, noticing Ryohei rushing out after him once the boxer had saw his escape.

Tsuna didn't know where he is, but he had finally escaped from all those people. Those crazy fangirls and the extreme boxer. Today was just one weird day as he slides to the ground, his back against the brick wall as he tried to relax his pounding heart. _Why was everything so complicated?_ First Gokudera enter his school and became his classmate, then Yamamoto had exclaimed that they were best friend, and a scary boxer had wanted him to join that totally dangerous boxing club.

"Stop!", a girl's screamed made Tsuna jolted off the ground as he peek around the corner to see one of his classmate, Sasagawa Kyoko, the popular idol of Nami-chuu. Even he can tell why she was the school idol. The girl was cute; with short sunset orange hair, golden eyes, smooth and flawless skins and a beautiful smile. Plus she was kind, and faintly dense; the perfect type to have as girlfriend.

"Lets me go!" she shouted at the guy holding her arm, which he indistinctly identify as her rumored boyfriend. The guy wasn't that bad looking either, with short crop of black hair which kind of reminds him of the extreme boxer he met earlier. A square-ish face with a slightly hawk-shape nose resting between two downward turn black eyes. He was a bit tall, but that was a small setback for her boyfriend.

Tsuna decided to leave them alone since it had seemed like a lover quarrel. The sound of a sharp slap, made him look back. He didn't like what he see as the girl got push down, with the guy standing over her with his hand still extended from his hit. A closer inspection of his classmate shows him that she was crying.

The brunet, didn't understand what had happened, one moment he was watching from the distance and then the next, his hand was extended, fist clench tightly as a soft pain throb through his right hand. The rumored boyfriend was on the ground, holding his own red face as shock spread across them, replaced quickly by anger as he stood back to his feet.

Tsuna went cold as images of his past overlap the present. A room beautifully furnished with high-quality walnut woodworks for dresser and bookcases. A bed made from red-brown cherry wood, a high canopy draped with pale blue curtains hang limply around the four poles, a soft cotton mattress rest on top of it as the bed sat peacefully at the center. A full length mirror, skillfully crafted added extra light to the room.

But still the room lack a touch of personal taste with walls bare; a plain light blue paint like the sky without any weather surround the room. A clear pure sky with nothing within it; not the brilliant sun, the silent cloud, the mystical mist, the distracting thunder, the raging storm, nor the soothing rain; it was empty.

Nothing but the essential exists within this room, housing the young boy of nine…or was he ten? He doesn't quite care anymore as the feeling of hopelessness filled his small body. He no longer knows the reason of his existent.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada?", the voice sounded different from the one he was familiar with, but still he couldn't help but flinched as the sound of footsteps came closer. A gentle breeze from the opened balcony door brushed his face. Strange, when had that door been opened?

"Tsuna" it was that voice again only this time, it did sound familiar as a small hand appear before him, waiting for him to make the first move instead of continuing it course.

"Baka-Tsuna", once more the feeling that he knows the voice came back stronger than ever. The soothing, yet strong, confident voice that changed his life, "Reborn?"

Tsuna looked at the baby in surprised seeing him appear before him so suddenly, "What are you doing here?", he asked still not quite sure why the baby was pointing the shape-shifting chameleon, Leon in his gun-form at him.

"Seem you finally awake", Reborn stated, allowing Leon to change back to it's animal form as the little lizard crawl it way back to his position on top of the black fedora.

"Awake?" Tsuna was still confused as he gazes around him for answers. What he saw left him gapping; Kyoko was standing worriedly in the middle of the road, her boyfriend beaten up and left on the ground still twitching-alive. The brick wall looked as if it had been bombed in a few places as did the ground, but Tsuna didn't remember what had happen. "What's happened?", he asked the only source he was sure would answer him.

"You beat the poor guy up", Reborn stated, his voice not revealing any hint of emotions as Tsuna look afraid, "I see you still haven't recovered." Reborn was most frighten when he doesn't show any emotions and Tsuna knew that it was better to stay quite rather than say something that just make the baby hitman anger.

Seeing the two not talking anymore, Kyoko took her chance and walk up to the two, her previous fears and worries gone as she faced Tsuna, "Sawada-kun thank you for saving me", her smile bright like the sun unaware that she had just interrupted a very dangerous baby as he got ready to lecture his foolish student.

Tsuna, however, was grateful for her save as he tried to show his own appreciation to the girl without letting Reborn see how glad he was for the interruption knowing that even if Reborn was the strongest hitman in the world, the baby still have a soft spot for women. After all, as he always said "_Mafiosos are supposed to take care of women with respects." _She'll be safe.

"Sawada-kun…"Kyoko was blushing as she avoided Tsuna's eyes, "Thank you for saving me. You were really brave, that guys had been harassing me for a while now even though, I told him I wasn't interested."

"Eh? Then that guy wasn't your boyfriend?" Tsuna face-palmed his head for almost letting that guy continue to harass his classmates.

"Sawada-kun!" Kyoko didn't understand why the brunet had hit himself, she was worried until Tsuna smile to reassure her that it was nothing.

"Don't worry. If that guy decided to brother you again, just tell me", he want to repay her for saving him from Reborn's wrath.

Kyoko smile was really sweet as Tsuna found himself returned the smile.

Reborn felt relief seeing his student finally showing that smile of his to others beside him, he was still recovering. The hitman sighed in relief and was about to head back home to wait, when another present surprise him.

"Kyoko!" Sasagawa Ryohei was rushing toward the trios when he notices all the craters around them. The male on the ground, he faintly remembered as his one of his boxing opponents he faced against during school tournaments.

Jumping to conclusion as always, Ryohei gave Tsuna a powerful right straight as he gotten near enough to throw the first punch. Tsuna barely dodged as he fell backward onto his butt, reminding him of his match with Hibari. The two teens were quiet similar, yet so different.

"Onii-chan!" Kyoko had rushed forward, arms extended to protect the blond from throwing the finishing punch, "What are you doing to Sawada-kun?", she scolded.

"He was hurting you!" Ryohei exclaimed, "I know how extreme he could be!"

"Sawada-kun was protecting me." Kyoko declared a bit angry at her older brother for jumping to conclusion.

"You two are family?" Tsuna asked despite the situation he was in as he stares at the two completely different people before him. Kyoko had always been quiet and polite while Ryohei had shown that he was loud and a bit rude, by attacking first and ask questions later. Tsuna just couldn't really see the resembling between the two.

"Yes" Kyoko answered still smiling.

"Both our last name is Sasagawa!" Ryohei stated and for a second, Tsuna could see a slight resembling; they were both a little dense. Could that be their family trait? He sure hopes not for their safety.

Ryohei once again, not learning his lesson from earlier decided to pat Tsuna once again on the shoulder in thanks. Tsuna like a shocked fish out of water jumped and before he knew it, had back flip the older teen onto the ground.

"Grrrr" the sound of grating teeth and a low growl came from Ryohei as he lay flat out on the ground. Tsuna looked worried as he tries to apologize, but before he got the chance, the boxer had bounce back onto his feet, "That was EXTREME! You MUST JOIN the boxing club!", he grabbed onto Tsuna's shoulder ignoring the "Eeeh!" from the boy as well as the cold sweats and shaking. Not that he can really tell seeing as he was adding to the trembling vibrations to Tsuna's body by shaking the brunet's shoulder without consideration.

_Maybe this guy can help Tsuna get rid of his fear_. Reborn watched in amusement as his student finally got free from the boxer's grips only to continue his escape from the dangerous boxing club captain, Sasagawa Ryohei with his younger sister chasing after them with their bags in hands.


	5. Lightning Flash at Dusk

**AN: Greeting everyone, here is chapter 5! Please give a BIG THANK YOU to Hi Hikari no Kaze, my new beta reader for all her hard work. Now on with the story...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Lightning Flash at Dusk<strong>

_BOOOM!_

The sound of an explosion made Tsuna turned towards Gokudera. After getting used to the fact that explosions equals dynamites and dynamites usually equals to his still freeloading, self-proclaimed right-hand man.

"Gokudera-kun!" But the bomber wasn't holding any dynamites, nor did he look as if he knew what was happening.

"It's not me Juudaime," he was shaking his head with vigor, a little disappointed that his beloved boss had suspected him. But he didn't question the reason, knowing that Tsuna had only thought that about him because of his past actions.

Especially after yesterday, when Tsuna didn't return straight away and he was with that annoying baseball-baka. For almost three whole hours waiting and trying his best to take no notice of the jock sitting at his boss' kotatsu talking about baseball this and baseball that, the whole time he was there. He was surprised he actually made it for three hours, seeing that he had wanted to kill the sportsman at the thirty-second mark…no right from the start, he amended.

The reason he didn't and the reason he did were the same, because of his boss. His boss had prohibited the use of dynamites in his house, so Gokudera was left with no weapons to use to kill the baseball-baka. However, when Yamamoto had stated that it was strange of his boss to shelter Gokudera, the bomber had exploded. _How dare he call the boss strange! _Even though those weren't Yamamoto's words, the boy had only meant that it was strange for Tsuna to allow anyone into his home, seeing as Yamamoto had once before tried to get together with Tsuna for a study session and failed.

_BOOOM!_

Another explosion got the rest of the class to head towards the window where the sound was coming from. Tsuna stayed seated, but Gokudera and Yamamoto had followed the crowd to look outside when the teacher still hasn't shown up.

Gokudera returned quickly to report to his boss while Yamamoto stayed at the window, "There's only smoke coming from the park. I'm sure it was just some reconstruction work."

"It can't be," Yamamoto laughed when another explosion made its present known, "It just moves from the park to the fifth street."

Tsuna looked up at the two in surprise, now curious to see for himself the cause of the explosion.

He stood up and move to a corner where the crowd was thinnest. Instead of getting too close, he tried to look over the crowd which was hard considering his small size. Gokudera noticed and decided to help as he chased the group of students away. Those who were brave enough to stay just shifted over a little as Gokudera guided the blushing brunet toward the window.

Tsuna watched as another explosion took place near his apartment and for a single moment, he was worried. _Reborn was still there_.

He moved away from the window and headed toward the door, "Gokudera-kun, sorry but can you tell the teacher I'll be leaving early? Thanks," Tsuna didn't even wait for the answer as he dashed out of class, running at full speed toward his apartment.

Yamamoto followed, "Me too!" he told Gokudera, who was forced to stay as Tsuna had ordered him to tell the teacher about their leavings. He didn't care about Yamamoto, but his boss had finally given him an order and he wouldn't fail it even if it kills him. Although, he would have rather be by his boss' side, protecting the brunet from those strange explosions. While he waited, he cursed the teacher for being so slow for getting to class. The baseball-baka had better take good care of his boss.

"Yamamoto, what are you doing here?" Tsuna asked, not stopping in his tracks to head home.

"I'm coming with you of course," Yamamoto stated with a wide smile, "It looks like fun."

Tsuna didn't know what to say. Yamamoto had always been a weird guy in his book as the only person to ever tried talking with him, but he was amazed that the jock was catching up to his speed with ease when he was going at his max speed. Guess it was expected from Nami-chuu's star athlete.

As the two turned towards the corner to the block of his apartment building, Tsuna was surprised to see that it was crowded by the local yakuza. One of them saw Tsuna and Yamamoto and called his fellow comrades over.

"What are you two doing here?" The guy who had first seen them asked.

"What do you guys want?" Tsuna ignored the man's question as he slowly noticed that he was blacking out again, "Why are you guys here?" the image before him wavered back and forth, making him dizzy so he face the group. "What did you do to Reborn?" Tsuna was still losing consciousness fast as he reached for the knife in his pocket.

Yamamoto notice his friend was once again acting strange as a strange sense of fear he had never felt before surrounded the boy. Was it his fears? Or was it Tsuna? He wasn't sure as he watched the boy's eyes darken, his hand in his pocket just like last time he acted strangely. _What was in that pocket?_ Yamamoto wondered yet at the same time, he was sure he didn't want to know. He was safe from unearthing his answer once again.

"Baka-Tsuna, I'm not so weak that I need your protection" Reborn had kicked Tsuna on the back of his head, snapping the boy from his trance as Tsuna looked with relief to see that the baby hitman was safe. "They're not here for us." Reborn stated.

Tsuna looked back at the group before him, noticing for the first time that although, these guys were part of the yakuza, he didn't recognize any of their faces, "They're low-ranked?" Tsuna just had to reconfirm with Reborn to be sure.

The single nod from the kid, made Tsuna relaxed too soon as one of the guy decided to strike him with the metal pole for his insult.

Luckily for Tsuna, Yamamoto had seen it coming and with a quickness that matched the wind, he had blocked the pole with a baseball bat. He looked angry, the first Tsuna had ever seen on the boy's face.

"Ha-ha…"Yamamoto started chuckling as he realized that his smile had slipped, "I don't know why, but I found my bat against the wall.", he stated, a bit confused but glad for a topic to distract Tsuna from his rage. Tsuna, however, didn't notice as he looked at Reborn angrily.

Reborn only smile as Yamamoto continued to blocked a few more hits from the other members who had also decided to fight back to save their pride. They failed as Tsuna managed to dodge their strikes, not planning to attack now that he know that they were lower ranking yakuzas, while Yamamoto continued to block those dangerous strikes.

"Juudaime!" and the raining of dynamites falling from the sky warned Tsuna that Gokudera had finally got to tell the teacher about their sudden absences, as the bomber slid out from the corner. Tsuna had to wonder how the bomber had avoided hitting him and Yamamoto with the dynamites while he was still behind the corner. He wasn't worried about Reborn, knowing that the baby hitman was experienced enough to dodged those flying sticks of doom with ease.

He thanked the bomber for taking out those gangsters.

"Are you alright?' Gokudera asked worriedly, as he examined Tsuna for wounds.

"Yeah, just peachy" Yamamoto replied happily only to earn a glare from the Italian bomber.

"I wasn't talking to you baseball-freak!" He yelled finally determining that Tsuna was still in one piece.

"I've been upgraded to freak?" Yamamoto laughed, noticing the slight change in Gokudera naming for him, since yesterday.

Tsuna ignored the two and turned to face Reborn as Gokudera tried to explain that it wasn't a compliment to the still smiling jock.

"Reborn, why were there so many yakuza here?"

"Hmm.." Reborn didn't answer the boy right away as he scanned the vicinity for anything out of the ordinary, finding something right away. In a corner of the alleyway between Tsuna's apartment and the one next to it, sat a gray trashcan with two peek holes near the top. Fake flies hanging on wires were suspended on the top, bouncing occasionally from the shaking trashcan below.

"That trashcan might tell us what's going on." Reborn pointed at the metal can which jump a few inches when it was pointed to.

Tsuna notice the peek holes as well as he determined that someone was wearing a costume designed to be a trashcan. Walking over, he could see that the trashcan was moving back and forth trying to decide what to do.

However, before he could tell the trashcan not to worry, a kid dressed in a cow printed suit jumped out of the trashcan and grabbed his face.

"Waaa! Lambo doesn't want to stay in the stinky bin anymore!" the cow kid, Lambo exclaimed as another person, a woman this time jump out of the trashcan costume after him.

"No Lambo-chan, you can't trust him! He had just beaten those guys who were chasing us!" the girl was quite cute, almost a match with Kyoko, with lightly powder-pink chubby cheek, large creamy looking dark chocolate eyes, with matching brown hair tied tightly into a high ponytail.

She tried to grab the boy-cow off Tsuna's head as the boy just held on tighter in return, "Lambo doesn't wanna!" he complained, overlapping Tsuna screams of terror from being pulled by the little boy and the girl in turn.

Gokudera flew over to Tsuna's side hearing the screams as he too tried to pull the kid off his beloved boss' face.

After what felt like forever, Tsuna was finally free from the cow when Yamamoto returned from disappearing to a nearby store for drinks and a lollipop for Lambo, which the boy accepted without hesitation while Miura Haru scolded him for taking stuff from strangers.

"Why don't we go inside?" Yamamoto asked as he pointed behind him at Tsuna's apartment.

"Why are you deciding this? That's Juudaime's home!" Gokudera complained, but Tsuna no longer cared, as he resignedly lead the four into his apartment. Reborn already went on ahead earlier when he determined that there were no dangers and he was tired from watching Tsuna whining about the cow-brat.

"Haru is only going since she needs to watch out for Lambo", the girl declared as she enter the small one-room apartment. The place was a mess and she instantly didn't like it, not that Tsuna cared anymore after having to repair his house for the second time within the week since Gokudera had started living with him. Reborn wasn't much help as well, seeing the baby had encouraged the first destruction to happen.

Lambo being the first to wander in has quickly claimed a seat at the kotatsu. Unfortunately for Gokudera, Tsuna had decided to place himself to the cow's left. Yamamoto took the seat on Tsuna's left, leaving Haru the last cushion across from Tsuna.

"That's my seat, so move it cow!" Gokudera tossed Lambo toward Haru as he reclaimed his rightful place. Lambo bounce on his head before landing up-straight in Haru's lap.

"Waaa! Stupid Octopus-head!" Lambo whined, his tears flying everywhere as he ransacked his afro. He stopped crying, finding whatever it was that he was searching for as he pulled out the lollipop he had gotten from Yamamoto moment ago, unexpectedly there were no hair or dirt stuck on the already unwrapped candy as the cow stuck it with in his mouth, silencing himself as Haru glared at Gokudera for his harsh behavior.

Gokudera ignored them as Tsuna looked grossed out. Yamamoto just sat there smiling as if everything was going perfectly fine. An uncomfortable silence descended as Lambo's sobbing stopped and no one knew where to start.

Suddenly Yamamoto broke the silence as he dropped the bag he was holding onto the table, "Tsuna here's some drinks", he reached into the bag and brought out a carton of…

"Milk?" Tsuna wasn't sure who said it, but he knew that everyone was probably thinking it. Why did Yamamoto bought milk? Wouldn't juice or soda be the first thought for a teen to buy?

"It'll make you grow", Yamamoto explained causing Tsuna to become depressed about how short he was. Gokudera shouted at the jock, and Haru just laughed it off as she grab a carton for Lambo.

"Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto-kun probably didn't mean it like that" Tsuna held down the bomber seeing that he didn't want another fight to break out as Gokudera once again brought out some of his dreadful dynamites, "Please calm down."

The Italian gradually settled down as he continues to silently glare at the sportsman across from him for making his boss cry.

"Dame-Tsuna, didn't cry" Reborn sighed as he flipped over the silver head with a kick before perching on top of the table with a 10-point landing, earning excited claps from Haru as Lambo got tossed to the side so that she can hug Reborn. Gokudera silently healed his wounded head, not wanting to make the hitman anymore annoyed from the hug he was receiving.

_Scar-y_, was the only thoughts flying through Tsuna's head as he decide which was more terrifying; Reborn or Haru. Lambo had fallen to the ground after Haru threw him, bouncing on his afro before getting flipped upright again as he landed on his butt with his lollipop still in his mouth. _That was a little amazing_; Tsuna had to admit before Reborn's stare drag his attention away.

He gulped, "W-what is it, Reborn?"

The baby was holding a pale yellow manila folder, his face smiling. Not out of happiness. Tsuna had recognized this smile many times in his past, and it had always been right before Tsuna had to suffer through severe amount of pains, bloods and tears.

He unconsciously shook his head, 'no', as Reborn decided a different approach, calm and detached. "The kid name is Lambo, age's five, birthday on the 25th of May, blood's A. The girl name is Miura Haru, age's fourteen, supposed blood-type B, birthday's May 3rd…but nothing else known about her" Reborn toss the folder over to Tsuna with the information he had just stated, "Oh…and I just got news that Lambo's Family had been attacked." He finished with a carefree tone.

Tsuna's eyes widen before a sense of anger passed over him, "What are you trying to pull, Reborn?" He stared the baby down as Haru shouted angrily in the background about his treatment towards the kid. Tsuna gave her a bleak stare that silence her before turning back to Reborn, "Why would you know about Lambo's family?" he demanded, the dreadful feeling that something bad was going to happen to him growing by the minute.

Reborn smirked, "Not his family Baka-Tsuna, but his 'Famiglia'." Tsuna stared at Lambo in disbelieve as Reborn continued, "That's right, the little cow brat you just save is from the Bovino Famiglia…although, I usually don't keep information on such a weak Family, they did capture my attention a few time in passing for providing some _interesting_ _toys_ to some of my targets, plus there are rumors of them possessing a legendary machinery that allows you to see your future."

Tsuna was speechless. Lambo is part of the mafia? He was starting to regret saving the kid now that he knew the cow's background.

"How cute! Reborn-chan had gone to Lambo-chan's family's toy shop!" Haru exclaimed, unaware of the tense atmosphere around Tsuna.

"Don't regret it!" Reborn scolded, reading Tsuna's mind as he jerked from the shock when the baby hitman ignored the cheerful girl, "No matter what, Lambo is still just a kid, you shouldn't regret saving him just because of his Family. You should be happy that you saved him from _that_ same fate."

The room became silenced once again as even Yamamoto couldn't break the quietness, seeing that his friend needed some time to think over whatever it was that was going through his head. He didn't understand a thing that was going on during that two-ways chat, but he knew it was important seeing how Tsuna had acted.

Tsuna had always been one who rarely shown any emotion nor would he have acted for anything that doesn't concern him. But the Tsuna that he saw today had walked towards a crowded area, shown anger in the face of yakuza who chased after kids, and he even got to see the brunet became fearful of losing the young kid in black. What's more, Tsuna was now getting involved with strangers. Yamamoto doesn't know what was happening to the boy he knew, but he was couldn't help but become excited around the boy. It was fun hanging around Tsuna.

Gokudera watched as the light within those brown orbs disappeared into the distance, having an idea of what was going through his boss' mind. He had been briefed by Reborn that first night after Tsuna had kicked them out and the two had wandered around the neighborhood for hours.

His boss had suffered from a terrible past that Gokudera was sure would have broken so many others, yet he continued to live. How or where had he gotten the strength to continue living, Gokudera wasn't sure, but he had made a vow that night. A vow to never let his boss fall down that hell hole again and that is why he was so insistent on staying by his boss' side 24/7. It was no longer due to the Ninth's order, nor was it because Tsuna's will to become the Tenth, but because he wants to protect this boy who had tried to saved him even if it meant his own death.

"Reborn…", Tsuna brought the two males out of their thoughts as he made up his mind, "who had targeted Lambo's Family?"

Reborn grinned, not at all surprised that Tsuna would asked, "It's only gossips but…I heard that the Lillarosa Famiglia is gathering some _toys_.", Reborn turns serious seeing Tsuna's mind began to wander, nevertheless, he continued, "I have received permission to use the cow as bait."

As he had expected, Tsuna attacked him and failed. Haru screamed, backing away with Lambo once again in her arms as she saw the silver blade in Tsuna's hand.

"Tsuna!", Yamamoto cried finally discovering the secret item within Tsuna's pocket as he bend over and double locked Tsuna's arms to prevent his friend from doing something he would regret.

"I won't allow that!" Tsuna declared, allowing Yamamoto to hold him back, "You can't use him!"

"Then what do you want to do?" Reborn countered, not at all flinching from the sharpness of the knife so close to his face, "Lambo's Family is in a state of emergency right now and having a useless kid around will only add to their dangers. They had practically abandoned the kid in our hands, telling us to use him however we want. Using him as bait is the easiest way for us to win, don't you agree?"

Tsuna slammed the knife, blade side down onto the table seeing that Yamamoto held him back from reaching Reborn, "You're right…" Tsuna admitted in defeat as Yamamoto loosen his holds out of shock. Haru's eyes widen as she tried to sneak away, only to have Lambo's cries stop her in her tracks. Gokudera only stayed quiet, trusting in whatever decision his boss will make.

Tsuna took another look at Lambo as Haru muzzled the cow-boy's mouth, trying to get the boy to stop crying so that they could escape, yet tears still fell in streams as fear hazed those green spheres making Tsuna clamped up his fist, nails digging into his palm as blood started to trail.

"You're right…" he repeated, "What you said is the most logical plan for us to use. Get rid of the hindrance as we lure out the enemy…but," he swallowed hoping that with a wet throat continuing would be easier. "…but telling me to act on this type of plan is not going to happen!" Tsuna looked into Reborn dark black eyes, trying his best to put all his feelings that he doesn't know how to explain into that single stare, "I just can't sacrifice a life…" he paused for a moment as if another thought had penetrate his mind, "I'm…I'm still not ready to face them."

Reborn sighed in disappointment, "Then what do you suggest?" his eyes were shadowed by his ever presented fedora, "What advantage would it do us to keep the brat? Don't forget that he had drawn the attention of those yakuza."

Tsuna looked up, a spark of hope lighting them as he turns toward Haru who had manage to reach the door during his little conference. The girl was plastered to the wall and staying really still as she reach her arm for the door knob as if there was a pit of snakes just before the doorway. Tsuna ignored her strange behavior, "H-haru-san, right?" he confirmed her name, "Why were you and Rambo being chased?"

"That's the GREAT _Lambo-sama_ to you!" The kid shouted noticing the mistaken pronunciation of his name. Reborn snickered; things were going just as he planned.

Tsuna stepped back into his regular self as Yamamoto followed his lead, sitting back down to grab a carton of milk from the bag. Gokudera, however, looked as if he was about to jump the brat for being so rude.

"Lambo," Tsuna corrected seeing that Haru was too afraid to answer, he turn to the kid instead, "Why were you being chased?"

"The great Lambo-sama wasn't being chased." He avoided looking at Tsuna as he jumped off the frozen Haru's arms and ran back into the house, heading for Yamamoto as he whined for some more candy.

"Don't lie stupid-cow!" Gokudera knuckled his head, earning a cry of pain from Lambo as Haru, having finally snapped out of being caught trying to escape, returned to scold Gokudera.

"G-gotta-stay-calm…" Lambo chanted like a charm, yet he still wasn't able to hold it in as tears flooded the floor, "I don't wanna!" He cried as he reached into his afro to pull out a pink grenade, grabbing the pin in one hand he pulled it out and toss it at Gokudera. Haru jumped to the side, seeing what had happened to those who didn't escape as the grenade detonated before the bomber could get away.

Now it was Tsuna's turn to want to cry seeing that once again the repair bill on his house had just increased with no answer to show for it. Yamamoto just sat there drinking his milk, laughing as he watched Gokudera rise from the dead to beat the living daylight out of Lambo as Haru scolded him from behind. Reborn had once again disappeared during the explosion.

Tsuna cried, finally decided that his home was no longer capable of being saved, unless he find a job that pay more than one million per day ,at the rate his home was being destroyed. _There was just no way he could get such a job! Who would hire a middle school kid with no talent or experience?_

"Oh, Dame-Tsuna" Reborn reappeared on top of brunet's head, "I forgot to mention, but the Bovino Famiglia had been willing to pay you twenty millions yens (about $170,000 US) to protect the cow until they recover from their raid."

Tsuna tears stopped as his eyes widen, "Why didn't you tell me that first? Why did you even suggest that irresponsible plan if protecting Lambo would get us money?"

"Because~" Reborn whined, "I didn't want an annoying brat like him around", Tsuna felt a chill despite the joking way the baby hitman had said it. He was sure that the baby wasn't kidding; Reborn had hated Lambo…but why?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Milano, Italy sat a grand stone mansion, which many could only gazed at from a distance in envy. There was only one way of entry and that was by passing the beautifully designed iron gate which lead you into a perfectly constructed forest of pines' wonderland. A large moss green lake greeted the blue haired man as he step out of his spotless black Mercedes. Making his way toward one of the white speedboat as he waved away the old man coming out of the shed to greet him, he turned the key in the ignition of a boat and made his way toward the mansion.

Stone stairs lead him into the house once he reached the wooden port. As he neared the stone entrance of 500-pounds doors, four guards, two on each side pushed open the way for him to enter. Without so much as a 'thank you' for their hard work, he continued his stroll into the hallway spanning ten feet on each side.

Passing several doors without caring for what inside, he finally came to a stop before an opened door. Shouts could be heard from the crack of the door before the sound of something crashing made him walk in.

Inside, two men in formal white suits and purple ties stood against the wall, frightened as the single black-haired man behind the desk threw yet another paper weight across the room. An icy fire flared within his sapphire blue eyes as he shifted his glare from the two men cowering against the wall to the red-haired man who had just entered.

"Sergio!" He searched his table for some sort of heavy object he could throw, but finding none, he created one out of a sack of papers, which slammed against the older man's chest before dropping to the floor with a light thump, "How dare you show your face here after keeping this from me!" He shouted, holding another sack of papers in his hand.

"You knew I was searching for him, yet you hid this from me!" He roared in rage in opposition to the older red-haired's quiet calmness.

"Padroncino_ (master),_" Sergio sighed, looking at the young man in his early twenty, "You have a duty to the Lillarosa before your own, and I had determined that this was not yet the time."

The long black hair that laid against his back seem to sparkle with life of their own as the young Don of the Lillarosa Famiglia sends his servant flying with a punch to his face, "How dare you?" He growled, "I am Vincentio Contiello, the Ninth boss to the Lillarosa! You _don't _have any right to order me around!"

"Si," Sergio agreed, standing back up from the floor as if the last punch didn't even happen, "However, Padroncino, before you retrieve him, you must understand that as we are now, we still don't have the adequate power to keep him. It would only lead to the same accident that took place four years ago."

"…Indeed" Vincent seriously consider his right-hand man's words as he calmly made his way back to his chair, grabbing a new set of document to look over, as Sergio finally got the time to send the two underlings away before walking toward his boss.

Although now placid, Sergio can tell that his boss was still discontent. After all, who could be relaxed when the thing they want was so close, yet still so far out of reach. He knows that feeling very well.

"Padroncino," he need to get away from that dangerous thought as the young boss looked over at him.

"What is it?"

"Before I came here, I ran into an illusionist. She was looking for work in exchange for a favor."

"Illusionist?" Vincent perked up in spite of everything since it was pretty rare for any illusionist to look for work, seeing as how few of them really exist. They have always been freelance and expensive to hire so most Family had tried to raise their own, yet many had fail. There is only so few illusionist with talent in the world, to find one is something extraordinary indeed and it had seems as if this one isn't looking for money. "Favor, you said?"

"Si," Sergio confirmed, "It had appeared that she is searching for her master."

"Ooh…and she want us to look for him?"

"Si, but…" Sergio looked a little uncomfortable as he paused for a second, earning a raise eyebrow from his boss, "the man she is searching for is that dangerous illusionist", he finally worked up his courage to explain his worries.

Vincent looked excited, "Really now? The one who even the Vendicare couldn't locate?"

Sergio couldn't even speak this time as he just nod.

"Ha! Hahahaha…" Vincent could help it as he laughed, "This illusionist wants us to find such a dangerous man in exchange for her service." His laughs stopped as he turns to the red hair man, a serious smile forming upon his lip, "I want to meet her."

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><p><strong>AN: So here we are finally, a little of Tsuna's past is starting to show itself. Some of you may wonder why I decided to create a new antagonist Famiglia instead of Byakuran or use someone from the original, Akira Amano's KHR, but I do have a reason. <strong>

**Anyway please tell me what you think of Vincent and Sergio so far. Also did I make the female illusionist mysterious enough in this chapter? I get the feeling that it easy to guess who it is even though I try to make it difficult to guess. Please reviews and thanks to those that did reviewed on chapter 4.**


	6. Dresses and Cakes

**AN: Just want to apologize for the late update, (-_-)-I'm sorry! So just enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Dresses and Cakes<strong>

_How? How was it possible? How was it possible to have used up all twenty million yens in just __**three weeks**__?_...were the thoughts running through Tsuna's head as he looked over his bank ledger once more. _It had to be wrong!_

Making his way toward the dresser, Tsuna grabbed the metal cookies tin from the top drawer before heading to the kotatsu. Putting the tin box on the table, he opens it to pulls out the sack of receipts for the past three weeks since he received the twenty millions from the Bovino Famiglia as a babysitting fee for taking care of Lambo.

It couldn't be true that they had used up the twenty millions already. After all, it's twenty millions for god sake!

Sure the amount of foods he needed to purchased had increase since the number of people he has to feed had increase by two.

Haru had refused to leave 'Lambo-chan' and 'Reborn-chan' alone with two irresponsible male students, so he had allowed the girl to stay after a long and difficult argument against Reborn and Haru which lead to his ungraceful defeat. That then led to him using a fraction of the amount they received to buy out the next room for Haru. On Reborn recommendation that they should remodel the two rooms into one living space, Tsuna allowed Reborn to oversee the construction.

The young hitman had turned the two single apartment rooms into a three bedrooms, one bathroom apartment. Their new living space also included a small simple yellow kitchen attached to lounging area. The only table-kotatsu Tsuna own made it new home near the back wall facing just a little to the left of the doorway and nearby the kitchen.

A slightly burned bookshelf made from wood was spared trash day thanks to Tsuna's begging and now made it new home in the corner nearby. Upon the shelf, books of all size cramped the bottom three shelves as the top and final shelf held articles of all sorts. Like the metal can of pens and pencils sitting atop a collection of unused papers. Some rubble bands, a small jar of marbles, the first aid kit, a sack of letters and a small golden pocket watch filled the space of the top shelf. It was pretty empty, but Tsuna had hope that someday that shelf will be filled with so many useless items that he doesn't even know what to do with them.

The bathroom was pretty simple, a plain white tiled area. A white western acrylic bathtub with a three settings showerhead sat against the right wall as a small ivory sink table with a mirror cabin right above it settled at the opposite wall. The toilet was hidden behind the bathtub and a double doors cabin attached itself to the wall nearby. Tsuna just hated it, mainly because of the whiteness of the room, but arguing with Reborn was just not an option.

At least his room was not white. It was instead a light tan brown, which Yamamoto had comment looked like his eye, but to him it was more of a golden honey color.

It was a warm sort of sunset color and he couldn't help but like it so much that he was able to ignore the fact that he would be sharing it with Reborn. That was a small imperfection, since he was used to sharing with that sadistic baby.

Tsuna being exceedingly happy to finally have the place repaired and getting a real room as an added bonus he might had splurged a bit more than what was wise for the feast he made to celebrated his home recovery. There were also the amounts he used to get some toys and provisions for Lambo. And the new furniture for Haru and Gokudera's rooms, but could he really had used up all twenty million yens without budgeting?

"8352…add to 62383…then 500000 for the rent with 26000 for the bed…no that's wrong!" Tsuna scratched away the numbers on the paper before crumpling up the sheet to throws at the ever growing piles of paper balls he created since the beginning of the hour that he been sitting there.

"Who am I trying to kidded" Tsuna gave up as he lay flat out on the ground, his hand behind his head to act as a pillow, "I'm just not good with math.", he sighed depressed by his own thoughts when Haru suddenly appear above him.

His eyes widen in surprised and he jumped up almost crashing into her head in his rush to sit up. Tsuna face became red out of embarrassment as Haru back away out of shock.

"H-Haru-san, is there anything I can help you with?" Tsuna stuttered as Haru slowly made her way over to a cushion and sat down, not planning to leave.

"Do you need help?", she asked picking up a few of the receipts scattered upon the table, "Haru's pretty good at math. Haru's father is a math teacher at a university, desu."

"Really?" Tsuna was excited, truth's be told, he suck at math and there was just no way he could do all these accounting business correctly, but he couldn't asks Reborn. The baby hitman would just threaten him until he did it correctly. Gokudera would only try to explain to him how to do it, but his way of explaining was too high-level for Tsuna tiny brain. Lambo…well Lambo was still just a kid. He had wanted to ask Haru, but he had thought that she hated him.

Which was why he was so surprised when she stood over him. She would normally avoid him when it was just the two of them. When it came to meal times, she would help him make the foods, but they would work in silence. Never had they really tried to talk with each others before.

"Yeah" Haru nodded as a silence sweep through the room. The two sat there; Haru keeping her eyes on the paper in front of her, while Tsuna fidgeted in his seat, keeping his sights on the move hoping to find something to break the silence.

"Where's Lambo?", He asked finally finding something to talk about. Usually when Lambo was around, Haru is never far behind, so he assumes, that it be the same backward.

"Lambo-chan is sleeping in the room, desu.", Haru answered not looking away from her calculations.

"Oh…" and another silence once again descend across the room.

20 minutes later, Haru finally looked away from the ledgers and was surprised to find a cup of steaming tea and a plate of daifuku waiting on her, Tsuna was about to pop another piece into his mouth when she looked up. He swallowed quickly, hitting his chest to stop himself from chocking and drowning it with green tea. Tsuna was surprised to have Haru looked at him stuffing himself while she was working on _his_ financial credits.

"Are you alright?" Haru moved next to Tsuna, helping him to swallow, by rubbing his back.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine.", he assured her, a grateful smile upon his face, "Thank you."

Haru couldn't help it. She turns beet red as steams smoked from her head. It was the first smile she had seen on him since she moved here. She had seen how scary he could be, his face gave her nightmare of Namahage, the demon that chopped up children. Her face cooled down at the thought of him pointing a knife at Reborn.

"Yea…well you don't need to thanks Haru. Haru is only doing the right thing, not like some _person_.", she glared at him at the last word.

Tsuna could feel her loathing stare, but he didn't understand the reason, "Hm…Haru-san are you fine?", he repeated her question back at her.

"Hahi?" she couldn't understand him. For the last three weeks, she had witness him being kind to Lambo, bothered by the silver hair bully, being respectful with the young Reborn, and even to the occasionally visiting Yamamoto, he was hospitable. Her observations were what lead her talk to him after having put Lambo to sleep and seeing that he had seem troubled.

"H-Haru is fine, desu…" he gave a sigh of relief, which made her smile. He was being considerate to her. That first night was probably a mistake.

"S-so Haru-san…how is our financial situation?"

"Hahi! _Our_?" Haru blushed as Tsuna recognized his blunder.

"I-I m-mean…since w-we l-live together now…" Tsuna ruffled his head not really sure what he was trying to say. He had never really lived with anyone beside Reborn before and back then, the two would always share everything.

Haru couldn't help it as she found herself laughing, "Tsuna-san is a funny person."

"I am?" Tsuna gave her a disbelieving look, he had been called heartless, monster, useless, and many more terms that he didn't want to names, but never had he been called funny in his life.

The girl just nodded, not able to speak through her laughs just yet, _Tsuna-san was quite innocent_. "But…" she stopped laughing recalling the issue at hand, "o-our assets are a little low. Haru say we only have enough for another week…maybe two if we budget it correctly."

"Only two?"

"Not to worry, desu!", she happily exclaimed, "Haru have a plan!"

-KHR-

_No no no no no. There is just NO way is he is going to go out looking like this!_ Tsuna stared at his reflection in the mirror. The image reflected there was of him, yet at the same time, he couldn't say it was him. The person staring back at him was…dare he say it…cute. He had to bow down to Haru's skills on fashions and costumes, but he never would imagine himself dressed in girls' clothing.

That was right! He was wearing outfits made for girls, wig included! It had seem that the plan Haru had was a job at a restaurant, but the owner there would only hires female waitress and so he was forced into Haru's clothes; a thin purple turtle neck undershirt to hide his adam-apple, which was then place over by a blue v-neck unbuttoned jacket. He was grateful that Haru had decided to give him pant instead of a skit, but the jean he was in was uncomfortably short. _How do girls wear these?_

At this point, he just looks like a boy in female clothes, which he was. But thank to Haru's make-up and the long tan wig he was wearing, it almost made him believes that he had a twin sister. The braided chocolate brown hair tied up with a blue ribbon looked really cute, and he couldn't help it but blushed at the girl in his mirror. _I wish I have a little sister_.

"Then let's go desu!" Haru shouted, seeing that Tsuna had finally stopped whining, she grabbed his quivering arm to pull him out the door.

As she dragged him passed a couple of block, she soon notices that he was still shaking. He had been shaking since she made him changed, but she had thought that it was just out of nervousness, but to still be shaking after he had resigned to her will and was allowing her to guide him passed three blocks heading toward the entrainments district was a little strange. She shook it off as his worries about getting the job.

As she leaded him into the place called Akai Kaze, '_Red Wind_', Tsuna finally seems to have returns to being himself.

Just as the name had told him, the restaurant he found himself in was themed red. Red curtains of different shades draped over window and ceiling as if they were waves in a red sea. Red cushioned chairs with gold metal frame sat around dark brown oak table. The floor was a total opposite of pale gray green as the white wall gave way to the royal blue ceiling that doesn't seem to have an end.

It was strangely decorated for a restaurant, but the customers didn't seem to mind as Haru led him passed the golden brown counter. The pretty Chinese waitress or at least that was what he thought of the girl when she first came up to greeted Haru. She was actually a Japanese high-schooler dress in a bright emerald green Chinese dress with bamboo leaves of gold spiraling around in the wind. Haru returned the greeting to the short hair girl before guiding Tsuna toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was completely different from the front, with a clean, spotless room filled with two gas ranges for working woks, another two countertop stoves sat on opposite side from each other, with a double-decker oven on the right wall. Two iceboxes with easy open covers attached to the two long and wide stainless steel countertops sat at the center of the room. On the far side from the entrance were three walk-in fridges, and a pantry. Two men and one woman in chef uniforms were working independently on their own stations as another man chopped the flying carrots slices at a high speed.

Two waitresses on duty were placing orders and picking up their previous request from a man dressed in purple. Unlike the others wearing uniforms, this man was wearing a long-sleeve Chinese style shirt with a bun cap on his head; his face was hidden by huge shaded sunglass.

"Ohayou gozaimasu Boss!" Haru greeted as the man in purple turns to face them.

He gave her a nod in return for the greeting, telling them to come over, "Here for a visit?", he asked his employee before looking over at Tsuna, "You brought a friend."

"Yes, desu. Haru's friend is looking for work, and Haru remember that we have a spot open, right Boss?" Haru elucidated their presents.

The man just nodded, "Yes…a waitress", he faced Tsuna, closely examined the 'girl' before him.

Tsuna gulped his intuition warning him that the man was similar to Reborn in a way. Haru just smile at her boss' answer, "That's great! My friend Tsu-Tsukiko-san is perfect for the job, desu!"

He looked Tsuna over once more then faces Haru, "I'll try _him_ out."

Haru just bow in thanks unaware that her boss had seen through their little lie since the man had spoken in a soft tone.

"Can you start this evening?" He asked Tsuna, "I need the help during Miura-san's shift."

"Yes!" Tsuna answered forgetting all about his stupid disguises or the nervousness he was feelings. He got a job! He doesn't have to live on furikake!

_He doesn't have to live on furikake! He doesn't have to live on furikake! He doesn't have to live on furikake…_Tsuna was repeating that litany as if it was an incantation to help him get through his shift. After all he needed something to keep his mind off of the orange Chinese dress he was forced to wear. Strangely the dress pattern contains a fish swimming up his leg as spiral wave patterns itched randomly around.

He had to continue his chant as he greets a table of familiar people, familiar being Kyoko and Hana, the two girls from class. While Hana had laughed, Kyoko had been sympathetic toward his situation, when he explains about his living expenses. It was a good thing that his school didn't care about their students working or not, but being caught wearing a dress even worst especially with Hana. The girl just keeps on making fun of him.

What was worst was that the Boss, the name still escaped him, had known about his real gender claiming, "I'll get a male uniform order up, so until then keep the wig and wear this.", while handing him the Chinese uniform. _Why could he just wear the Chef uniform?_

"JUUDAIME!" the shout from outside the shop made him turns toward the window to see Gokudera running pass at lightning speed, Yamamoto was happily chasing him with Lambo in his arms.

The brunet quickly looked away when he saw Yamamoto turns from sensing the stare.

"W-what would you like to order?" Tsuna asked the girls trying to avoid catching Yamamoto's attention.

"I'll take the Matcha Parfait. Kyoko?" Hana answered swiftly before passing the right to order over to her best friend. Tsuna had to take a double look at the menu he was handed to see that although; this was mainly a Chinese restaurant they had an exclusive desserts menu as well which he supposed explained the three walk-in-fridges in the kitchen.

As Kyoko quickly looked through the menu for something, Tsuna jolt down Hana's order before quickly taking a peek outside the window when Kyoko still didn't seem ready. Yamamoto had disappeared.

"A-an Ichigo Spring Cake…" Kyoko voice made him turns back to his order pad to begin jolting down the girl's order. Just as he was about to leave to fulfill the order, Kyoko soft angelic voice sound again, "Vanilla Roll Cake…the Seven-layer Coco Cake, Blueberries Cheesecake, and the house sweet dumping." Kyoko listed before slapping the menu close with a large smile on her face.

Tsuna had stopped writing after the first ones and had lost track of what she had ordered. He was surprised to know that a girl can eat so many cakes. Once Kyoko had repeated her orders for him with a faintly blushed face, he went back into the kitchen to drop off the ticket glad for the excuse to escape from Kyoko's adorable face.

Coming back out to take order for the next table he drop the order pad when the all too familiar voice of the Gokudera Hayato called out to him, "Juudaime!".

He was waving. He was waving with a huge smile on his face as Yamamoto turns around in his seat. Lambo hang himself against the back of the bench seat they were seated at.

"Gyahahaha, it's Tsuna! Lambo-sama is here to visit you!" Lambo cried as he waves his little hand.

_I didn't want you guys to come!_ Tsuna internally cried as he dragged himself over to their table after picking up the order pad.

"Yo, Tsuna" Yamamoto greeted as he arrived, "So you worked here?", he ignored the dress Tsuna was wearing as he gave the boy his normal smile.

"Y-yeah…" Tsuna didn't know what to say as he had expected the jock to laugh at him like Hana did, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Reborn-san told us you were in trouble!" Gokudera exclaimed worries frowns marred his face as Tsuna silently cursed the baby hitman. "Why are you in a dress Juudaime?", the silver head asked the question Tsuna was trying to avoid.

"Haha, you're right! Tsuna is wearing a dress." Yamamoto laughed.

Tsuna gave Yamamoto a disbelieving look before ignoring them when Gokudera hit the jock for making fun of his boss, "What do you wish to order?" Tsuna asked them sternly instead.

"Lambo-san want grape!"

"There's no grape." Tsuna replied bluntly making Lambo cry. Haru came over hearing the noise and without asking about what had happened, she just hit Tsuna over the head with her tray, which lead to a quarrelling contest between Gokudera and Haru.

"Tsuna" Yamamoto ignored the shouting around him, "I want a glass of milk", he ordered like everything was perfectly normal.

"There's no milk on the menu.", Tsuna looked at Yamamoto seriously wanting to know if the boy was joking with him or not.

"Then a milkshake?"

He wanted to kill the jock, but the boy's face had said that he was serious about his order.

"No milkshake either"

Yamamoto's face looked dejected before smiling up at Tsuna, "Then what do you recommend, Tsuna?"

_How should he know? It was only his first day for god sake!_, was what Tsuna wanted to scream, but not wanting to lose his job quite yet for yelling at a customer, he decided to just look through the menu. "I'll just ask the kitchen to see if they can afford to spare a glass of milk." Tsuna told the jock before jotting down the order on his pad. They had an extensive list of sweets after all Tsuna was sure there was milk usage in those recipes.

"Okay", Yamamoto chirped happily.

Looking back at Lambo, the boy was playing with the menu which Tsuna just grab out of the boy's hands, "How about a chocolate cake, Lambo?", he quickly added before the kid could cry.

"C-cake?" Lambo sniffed back his tears as he determined if a chocolate cake can replace his beloved grape, "Yes! Lambo-san wants cake!" Tsuna quickly escaped, letting Haru take care of Gokudera's orders...if he orders anything. But knowing the bomber, Tsuna highly doubt it knowing the boy to be a picky eater; he only likes Italian cuisines.

Upon entering the kitchen, Tsuna was expecting a bit of quiet, but what awaited him were all the chefs surrounding a very familiar face. The black suit, had been replaced by a white chef jacket, the black fedora was swapped with a white mushroom hat, and there above his lip was a nicely trimmed moustache, but the ever present beady black eyes, springy sideburns, and green chameleon sleeping on top of his hat formed only one conclusion in Tsuna's head, "Reborn?"

The small chef turns toward him as the rest of the crowd looked at him like he was stupid.

"Non. I am not tis Reborn you speak of. Ma name is Monsieur Soufflé.", the tiny chef answered in a French accent, which Tsuna totally didn't buy.

"What are you doing here Reborn?" Tsuna asked a vein popping on the side of his head at the terrible act the baby was putting on, which the other totally brought.

"Che" Reborn voice returned to normal, surprising the others within the kitchen, "I was hoping you could have played along a little longer my pathetic little student." He shook his head in disappointment, "You should know by now that I only go by Monsieur Soufflé in these clothes."

"You know the great Monsieur Soufflé, Tsukiko-san?", one of the chef had made his way toward Tsuna, "He just said something about you being his student. You are so lucky to be training under such an amazing world renowned chef." Tsuna wanted to hit the guy for his stupidity, but he held it in, again not wanting to lose his job by causing trouble with the other employees. He decided to just ignore Reborn and continue in his work.

Too bad for him, Reborn is not a person to be ignored, "Tsukiko…"

Tsuna froze. Reborn, didn't just called him by that name. He turns around; the sound of rusty feet being dragged forward followed his movement as he faced the baby hitman in white.

Reborn was smirking, Leon-turns-gun was facing him, "I don't want you to work here.", his face turns serious as his eyes seems to hit a shadow, "quit the job or I kill you." He was serious.

Reborn was serious about killing him; he could feel the air grew cold…but why?

"It already too late to hide him.", the sudden calm, soft voice made Tsuna and the other employees jumped, Reborn being the only one to stare at the new occupant impassively. "Everyone, the customers are waiting. Please get back to work.", he ordered calmly but everyone scatter back to their station as if he had just yelled.

Tsuna too, rushed to pick up his orders before running out the kitchen, leaving behind the two people his intuition had label as 'dangerous' talking to each other.

Being back out in the front was a problem in itself as he brought the foods over to Hana and Kyoko's table, where the former of the two complained about how long it had taken for their foods to have come. Her ruckus had then brought Gokudera over to tell her off and that lead the two into an argument.

Seeing the commotion, Haru had came over to try and stop it only to be distracted by the cakes on Kyoko's side of the table and had begin a conversation with the girl, leaving Tsuna to do the shift alone, as he tried to calm the angry customers who were still waiting for their foods, while pacify those that started making noise as well, and smoothing those that got angry from the mess up on their orders.

-KHR-

_All in all that was one hell of a day!_ Tsuna thought as he finally, FINALLY crawled to his bed and fell asleep.

_BANG! _

The sound of a gunshot made him jump off his bed to see a hole where his head had just been second before. His pillow had gain a nicely brunt hole as feather spilled out from it wound.

Looking around for an intruder, he found Reborn standing at the window, his green gun in hand as he glare, that's right Reborn was glaring! It was like seeing the god of war getting ready to completely wipe out his enemies until there is not even a speck of dust of them left.

"R-Re-Reborn?" Tsuna was cowering behind his bed as he wonders why Reborn had wanted to kill him. Was it still about his job? But he really needed that job and Reborn knew it…the baby was heartless, but he wasn't the type to ignore own his living style. He wouldn't want to live on furikake!

"I would rather have live on furikake…" Reborn said reading his mind as Tsuna panic, "I didn't want him to know…", he continued jumping onto the floor to walk over, "I didn't want him to know…" Tsuna fainted when Reborn jumped onto the bed to glare at him, "I didn't want him to know that I had such a disgraceful student.", Reborn cried without any real tears, but he cried nevertheless.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I couldn't help myself making Reborn seem more baby-like than he really is or dressing Tsuna up in female clothing. This chapter is mainly just for laugh, but the next chapter will take you back on track to the main story. Hint: There going to be a little action scene (very light) and new characters will appear.<strong>


	7. Lights, Festival, and Birdie

**Chapter 7: Light, Festival, and Birdie**

"Itai…" Tsuna straighten his back from sleeping on the floor after Reborn crazy return last night which lead to him fainting when the baby hitman glared him down. It had appeared that the owner of Akai Kaze was one of Reborn's acquaintances and he was embarrassed. That's right; Reborn almost killed him out of embarrassment! He didn't even know that the sadist baby could feel embarrassed. Notes to self: _Never embarrass Reborn again! EVER!_

"Juudaime…are you alright?", Gokudera looked at his boss in worries as the two walked to school.

Not wanting to worry the poor fool, Tsuna just gave the boy a tired smile, "I just didn't sleep well last night."

Unfortunately, that was the wrong things to say since the taller teen just went on a yelling spree about the innocence bed, even to the point of suggesting a bed exchange and better yet, getting a new bed.

"No! No new bed!" Tsuna exclaimed afraid that the bomber might just go out and get one even when they don't have the money for it, "I-I was j-just up all night thinking!" he rambled from his sleep derivate brain.

"Thinking? About what Juudaime?" Gokudera asked looking expectedly for a chance to help his boss.

Tsuna refrained from slapping himself on the forehead for saying something so random, but he wasn't really lying when he said he was thinking, "Just about the new job and maybe about getting another one…", he didn't see the harm in telling the boy but made sure to leave out the part about Reborn. Maybe Gokudera can help. Gokudera was smart after all, so maybe he could do some tutoring.

"I got a job for you Dame-Tsuna", the voice made Tsuna jumped as Reborn's jet black eyes pop out of wall next to the two teens. As the brick wallpaper dropped to the ground, the rest of the tiny body appears, "It'll be good training too."

"Training?" Tsuna eyes widen in fear, "Why do I need training? Didn't you say I was done?"

Reborn hit him with a hammer-Leon, "I never said your training was done. I only told you that 'you be fine on your own' so that you'll leave.", he explained, "Tonight, afterschool meet me up at Namimori Shine. Bring Gokudera and Yamamoto Takeshi with you, those two would be great help."

Reborn disappeared by jumping over the roofs before Tsuna had the chance to complains.

_Why does Yamamoto have to come as well? What kind of job could it be? Could it be dangerous?_ Tsuna couldn't concentrate on his class, not that he ever did, but he didn't even notice when lunch had started.

"me…daime…Juudaime!" Gokudera smiled when he finally saw his boss returned from his little world, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tried" Tsuna explained.

"Yo, welcome back Tsuna!" Yamamoto greeted allowing Tsuna to escapes from Gokudera's questioning, "I heard from Gokudera that we are going to the festival at Namimori shrine tonight!"

"Festival?" Tsuna was confused.

-KHR-

"Sawada-san!" Ryohei roared as he placed his arm around Tsuna's shoulder, "You came just like Elder PaoPao told me you would!"

"Elder PaoPao?" Tsuna temporary ignored Ryohei's arm seeing that the older male never really think about his actions…and beside Gokudera was praying the boxer off for him even as he speak. Yamamoto greeted the older male with a quiet "Yo, Sempai".

"Yea!" Ryohei nodded to Yamamoto as he released his hold on Tsuna pointing toward the entrance to the shrine, "He's waiting inside, Sawada!"

Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera followed the boxer in when a strange music made Tsuna stop:

_Midori tanabiku namimori no__  
><em>_Dai naku shou naku nami ga ii__  
><em>_Itsumo kawa~_

That's song was their school anthem and the other three had also seems to have heard it as well when all four turned to the source to see…Hibari Kyouya talking into his cell phone.

He suddenly snapped the phone shut and turns toward them, making Tsuna jumped, Gokudera growled, Yamamoto smiled, and Ryohei just greeted him loudly.

Hibari stayed where he was and turns toward the taller vice-chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Tetsuya Kusakabe the man with the old fashion regent–style hair, he spare a moment to speak with the man before leaving the shrine's ground.

Kusakabe walked over toward them, "You four are the newly hired replacements for those disgraces that were beaten, correct?"

"Wha…" Tsuna never got to finished as Reborn appear out of thin air landing on his back.

"That's correct. These four are your to do as you like for tonight."

"Reborn?" Tsuna panic as he got off the ground to see that the usual black tux Reborn was not there, but a Reborn in a blue elephant hat and boxing gloves standing before him. "Huh? What are you doing dressing like that?"

Reborn ignored him as he spoke to the other three, "Some of the Disciplinary Committee members had suffer from some sort of _accident_, so the four of you have to take their places to patrol the festival." Tsuna didn't like the way Reborn had said the word accident knowing that the baby might just have something to do with the so call accident.

"Patrol? U-us?", Tsuna didn't feel too well, his knees was shaking like jell-o, only his will to not look more pathetic in front of his four schoolmates had kept him standing.

"That's right, Tsuna-san" Reborn-Elder PaoPao responses, "As your tutor had instructed I have gotten you this job so that you can train your muscles while you earns your living expenses. Your tutor had also told me to tell you to _quit_ _your other job_!"

Tsuna got the chilled from Reborn's venom-laced words.

"This could be fun, Tsuna" Yamamoto pats him lightly on the back, bringing Tsuna back to the situation at hand as well as a strange sense of warmth from the patted.

"Yeah, patrolling to protect the citizens of Namimori is an extreme job!" Ryohei added before Kusakabe explains to them their posts.

There will be two groups of two based off of Kusakabe options on their characters: Gokudera-rashness with Yamamoto-calmness, while Tsuna-short builds was placed with Ryohei-older and taller build. The two groups was then present a map of the shrine's ground; the festival was divided into six sectors, each with five sets of booths on each side of a path except for Sector 2 near the entrance to the shrine which had three extra booths, plus the information stall.

Each sector was then patrolled by two groups. Besides just patrolling the six sectors of the festival booths, there is an extra group needed to patrol the shrine and outer forest; keeping the citizens from wandering into their dark maze. This is where Tsuna and Ryohei found themselves as Gokudera and Yamamoto took over Sector 2 near the shrine gate; at least they were still within the same division of the festival.

Tsuna envy his two classmates as he quietly follows after the energize Ryohei who was punching air as he jog down the dark road before them. Reborn or Elder PaoPao as the baby had wished to be called tonight, had disappeared during their briefing, to where—he didn't know. But that baby hitman was always unpredictable, meaning Tsuna didn't have to worry about the kid since he would sooner or later pop back out. He did however, felt a bit lonesome at the disappearance nevertheless.

"Sawada!" Ryohei loudness rippled against the silence air reminds Tsuna that he wasn't as alone as he had thought. "There's a ring-the-bell game!" He seems excited walking toward the booth leading out to the brightly lit road. "It's an extreme game to test your strength! Let's go play a round!"

Tsuna looked a bit hesitated at the older teen, wondering if he was out of his mind since they were currently working and under Hibari's payroll. Tsuna didn't think it was wise to test that man's composure for not doing their jobs correctly. But the excited and happy smile on Ryohei's face prevents him from telling the boxer off.

Sighing in defeat, Tsuna gave the boxer permission to go play on the bell game, "Sasagawa-sempai, you should go try it out. I'll continue to patrol on my own for a while so that Hibari-sempai wouldn't be mad that we are skipping out on our duties…you can catch up to me once you're done." Tsuna added the last part with a smile when he saw the older male looking disappointed at the reminder that they were currently working.

His last statement seems to did the trick, when Ryohei smiled brightly at him before once again clamping an arm around his shoulder in his excitement, "THANK YOU TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei screamed completely lost in his own enthusiasm when he received the permission to test out his strength, "From today onward, you will be my little brother!", he declared as Tsuna extricate him.

"Hii?" Tsuna squeaked once he was finally free and the boxer's words finally registered within his mind.

"Just call me Onii-san from now on!", Ryohei grinned at him, his grayish-brown eyes shining merrily as he waited for Tsuna to repeat the title.

Tsuna didn't understand why the boxer had sudden demand to be call, "O-onii-san", but he repeated after the taller teen anyway…mostly out of his own confusion, but the older male had mistaken it as Tsuna agreeing to become his little brother.

"This is the best night EVER!", Ryohei laughed loudly as he patted Tsuna a few times on the back making Tsuna lose his balance after the third hits despite his attempted to stay upright.

Ryohei help steady the boy once he notice his mistakes, but kept his smile on his face, "I'll win you something extremely good to celebrate our brotherhood!"

"T-thanks…" Tsuna didn't know what else to say as Ryohei waved to him before the boxer rushed off to get in line so that he could honor his words to his new little brother.

Left alone, Tsuna turns back to the dark road ahead of him. He couldn't help but compared the bright multi-colors lights from the many stalls and booths to the endless darkness of the road he was traveling on. Tsuna smiled a little at Ryohei's shouting. The man was trying to hurried those before him exclaiming, "I'll win an extreme prize for Tsuna!".

Then other sounds reach his ears; happy chatters of the excited crowd, wailing from little children begging for prizes, showering praises to winners and the loud pounding music of the taiko drums.

The small smile became smaller until it disappeared all together as Tsuna continued down his road. Sounds getting softer and quieter the farther he went until the irksome dark path before him became so suffocating quiet. He felt as if he was falling into a dark hole. His heart clenching at that thought.

A sudden silver light in the distance draw Tsuna's attention toward the shallow pond reflecting the brightly lit moon above. Walking near the pond he saw that it was larger than it first appeared, a long wooden bridge connected from his side toward the temple up ahead lay silently over it. A few koi scattered away from the edge when he walked up.

Following one particular golden orange koi through the multiple lilies pads, pass the single violet lily sitting near the bridge; he was amazed at how beautiful it was. The lonely purple flower among the contractions of green, yellow, and red lilies pads for some reason reminded him of a dark cloud within the vast sky; how he wish that cloud would grow and hide the whole sky from sight.

The slight disturbance on the water surface made Tsuna look up from the pond to see what had caused the ripples. The dark silhouette of a man sat against the railing made him move forward to advise the man to leave since the area was off limit.

"Excuse me, sir" Tsuna stopped as the moon light gave away the identity of his culprit "H-Hibari-sempai I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know it was y-you. I'll just continue on my patrol." Tsuna was surprised that his voice had still answered him. He'll have to thanks Reborn for that; if the baby hitman wasn't scarier than Hibari when angered, he would have fainted by now just to escape the fury. Although, he did have to wonder if Reborn is really scarier than Hibari, since truth be told, he had not yet really seen Hibari angry.

Tsuna had made it three steps away, when Hibari called out, "Wait", the word was like a death sentence to him as he felt the monotone voice nailed him to the spot.

Seconds pass, then minutes, and yet Tsuna was still standing where he's at with no hint of changes. Wondering if maybe Hibari had already left, Tsuna slowly forces his body to turns around. He was surprise to see Hibari standing right before him, not even an inch away; for the first time ever, he was proud of his height when he was met with the man's chest instead of his eyes. He was sure that the loss of personal space was a problem for them both; Hibari was well known to hate crowd after all and as for himself, Tsuna just didn't like to be touched at all.

As if that thought brought about the action, Tsuna pushed Hibari's away before his slow moving mind really became aware of his body's movement. He widens his eyes watching Hibari tumbled back a few steps out his own surprise.

_Run._ It was a warning from his instinct and Tsuna took it without hesitation as he dash toward the forest edge.

Hibari struggled whether he should go after the brunet to 'bite him to death', or should he just get him the next time they meet. But the question that made him stopped the boy before came back to him, and Hibari walk off after the brunet.

-KHR-

_Lost_. That was the only word his mind would produce whether for the fact that he had lost Hibari or the fact that he was lost himself, Tsuna didn't know.

He had run when his instinct had called out the warning, but now that he had calmed down, he wasn't sure where he was. Trees and leaves were the only things in sight, the path he had followed had disappeared thanks to the shadow of the ancient forest blocking out all light.

"Yea…" Tsuna sighed watching a single leave floated gently onto the ground. It was always the darkness that welcomes him. Never the light. It was always in the distance…always out of his reach, ever evading no matter how he tried to stand within it.

"Pii"; the sound made Tsuna jumped out of his thoughts as well as off the ground. Scanning the area around him, he tries to see what had caused the sound. Darkness was his only answers as winds blew leaves against their branches.

"Pii" the noise once again reached him, echoing a painful cried that Tsuna couldn't ignored.

"Chiir" the sound changed, Tsuna moving closer.

"Pii…Pii...Chiir!", it now sounded a little excited. Looking around Tsuna wonder where it was coming from, he know it was around him.

"Nuu", again a different sound as if saying that he was walking in the wrong direction; it was like he was playing a game of hot-and-cold. Tsuna would head in one direction to receive either the happy "chiir" or the desperate "nuu". He became confused when he wanders to the same spot the third times, only noticeable by the thin tree before him. Out of instant inspiration, Tsuna looked up.

The tree was amazing; branches twists and turns, overlapping each other as leaves clutch onto the grayish limbs. He never notices it before, but were trees naturally grown like that. He was pretty sure that they don't.

"Chiirp!", the happy sound brought him back as he finally notice a nest of twigs sitting over a section of overlapping branches. Peeking out of the wooden nest was a yellow blob of fluff. A closer look proved to him that it was a baby bird, with a large orange beak, which remind him more of a chick than a canary.

"Chiirp!" it sound really excited that Tsuna had finally found him and Tsuna could help but smile at the little bird's strangeness. Most birds would fly away upon nearing humans, yet this yellow bird had called out to him. Instant panic washed over him as his intuition provides him with an answer as to why.

Looking around, Tsuna gave a relief sigh when his amber orbs landed on a large rocky stone boulder. Using it as a stepping stone, he felt a scratch against his thigh, but ignore it in his haste to reach a lower branch of a tree.

"Nuu" the bird cried watching the only person who had found him heading further away from his sight. If bird could cry, this yellow creature would definitely be crying as Tsuna disappear above the cover of leaves and branches into the crown.

"Nuu~" the bird whined until a gentle rub upon his forehead stopped the cry.

"There…there…" Tsuna chants until the bird looked up at him. He laughed at seeing such an interesting little bird; it was obviously smarter than normal, yet the small animal was acting ridiculous naive.

"PIIIII!" the sudden cries of pain made Tsuna pull back his fingers as he stared at the little creature in surprise. A dripping coldness on his finger drew his attention away from the bird as the soft moon light shone through the tiny cracks of the tree; _blood_ the only answer his mind supply him when he saw red and he knew instantly that it was the correct answer.

Looking back at the bird, he saw where the injury was leaking from. A small piece of thorn was sticking out of the little bird's wing as the surround area spread a faint red.

Tsuna reached into his pocket hoping that he had carried something that could be use as a temporary bandage, only to came up empty. He cursed himself before turning back to the bird, picking it up before looking around for a path down.

He gulped realizing that he didn't know a way to get down. He thought about jumping, but from the height he was at, he was sure that even if he was able to land with few injuries, the bird might get hurt if he landed badly; worst case scenario, he squash the poor creature during his fall and with his clumsily luck, he was sure it would happen.

"Hey" a sudden chill couldn't help but crawled up Tsuna's spine as he looked down the tree to see Hibari standing at the same spot he had not long ago, "Are you skipping out on your duties?"

"No!" Tsuna blurted out of fear, holding out his hand with the bird to show Hibari what he was doing in the tree, "I heard some sound and came to get him!"

Hibari looked as if he wanted to scowl, but held back at the sight of the little creature, "Then get down", he command.

When seconds passed and Tsuna still didn't get down, Hibari really did send him a scowl.

"Hiie! I-I…I c-can't…get down", Tsuna explained hoping that the prefect would lets him go.

Hibari looked up in disbelieve; the kid can't get down? Images of cat's ears pop out above the brown locks and he had to look away from those pleading brown orbs in order to calm down. He gave a sigh before turning back to look at the kitten in the tree before scanning the territory around him. Walking away, he could hear the kitten and bird both whining at his movement. Ignoring them he continues on his planned course.

Tsuna couldn't help but whimper when he saw Hibari leaving. He knew it was stupid of him to have thought that Hibari would save them from the tree, but he never thought that anyone could just leave like that. The bird in his hand seems to agreed with him as he also chirped in disappointment. That was why it was so surprising when Hibari stop and turns around.

Taking a charged run, he kick the tree on the left before sending another into the tree Tsuna and the bird was on. Making sure the bird was safety tucked in his coat, Tsuna held on to the branch with both arms when he felt a weak shake as Hibari kicked.

Hibari didn't notice as he repeated the process a couple times more moving higher along the truck as he kicks almost as if climbing a ladder of some sort. Before long he landed on a thick branch that was able to support his weight. Looking up to judge the distance, he was surprised to see Tsuna watching him like a recorder. Those bright brown eyes of his shone like fiery orange orbs devouring his every move.

Reaching the branch that the shorter boy was on, he was disappoint when all images of neither the kitten nor those fiery eyes greeted him. Instead he got the same typical everyday Sawada Tsunayoshi staring at him in happiness at being rescues; _weak_, he could help but scowl.

"Grab on" he ordered. Tsuna hesitated to move; his mind warred over the facts that if he didn't do as the man had said, he wouldn't get off the tree anytime soon.

Hibari wanted to kill the herbivore for his slowness, but held back for the sake of discipline. It wasn't right of him to kill the boy over his speed.

"H-Hibari-sempai?" Tsuna called out, "M-maybe you can just take the bird down and I'll follows?"

He'll follow? Hibari couldn't believe the word, if he could get down himself then why didn't he already get off the tree. There was no way that he would climb back up for the kid again if that was what the herbivore was thinking.

Hibari just grabbed the boy pulling him close to his chest, he felt the slight shaking of Tsuna's body and scowl once more at the boy's fears. Why was he even trying to save the boy? Usually, he would just leave the godforsaken herbivores to fence for themselves but he could help get curious with this boy. The one person who had been able to dodged his attacks and even manages to make him use his real strength for a moment yet why was the boy still so weak; he just couldn't understand it.

Hibari jumped without second thoughts once he was sure that Tsuna was firmly held with the yellow bird still tucked away. The free falling was exciting as the wind pressures push against his body causing adrenalin to rose. That little match against the kid that time had given him this kind of rush. He was sure that if the herbivore would have attacked, he would have enjoyed it even more.

About two-third of the way down, he release his hold of the kid with one hand to slip out his ever-presented tonfa, clicking a small, almost invisible button, steel chain grow from the metal weapon and the prefect smack it against the tree so that it wrapped around it. Pulling the chain tightly to lock around the trunk, he manages to slow down the fall.

For a second, the chain loosens causing two to free fall once again. Tsuna squeaked within his arm, but show no change as he quickly fixed the tightness, slowing down their fall again.

Once on the ground, Hibari dropped the baggage in his arm and the boy fell on his butt with a thump of pain. It was disgusting how weak the herbivore was acting.

"Chirp!", the happy sound of the bird distracted him and he watches the boy look over the bird.

"Hibari-sempai!" the herbivore called out, hints of panic clearly in his voice which made Hibari want to kill him.

"What?" he growled despite his plan not to sound angry.

"H-Hibari-s-sempai do you have any bandages?"

Hibari wanted to chews him up and spits him out! Bandages? The kid was sure brave to ask for bandages despite how angry he had made the prefect with his weakness. But…but Hibari Kyouya was not one to ignore an injured student—at least not one that he didn't damage himself. Looking over the boy, he saw that Tsuna was bleeding pretty badly from his upper leg. Reaching into his back pocket, where he always kept his handkerchief, he tosses it over to the boy.

Tsuna looked at it in fear and regret for a moment before tearing it up. Hibari wanted to punish him for his treatment of other people's property, but held back once again this time because of the boy's next action, instead of treating to his own wound like he had thought; Tsuna was taking care of the bird on the grass.

Once done, Tsuna shoved the tiny creature into Hibari's face, "Look Hibari-sempai, the bird is fine now!"

Hibari just held back his killing intense as to not frighten the bird. The creature was cute after all. As for Tsuna, he could forgive the boy since the herbivore was humane enough to treat the cute critter despite challenging Hibari's wrath; a trait that he doesn't hate. But, the herbivore was still injured himself.

He pushed the hands holding the bird away, pushing Tsuna down to the ground in the process. The boy gave a small squeak and he noticed out the corner of his eyes that the bird had hopped away.

"W-what are you doing, Hibari-sempai?" the herbivore sounded scared, but fear of him was common enough that he had grew resistant to it.

"Roll it up", Hibari ordered pointing with his eyes at Tsuna leg.

Tsuna started to blushed…or at least Hibari had thought it was a blushed until Tsuna pushed him away, an angry frown glared right at him. An excited stimulation flow through his body and he could help but grin.

Tsuna got angrier; his eyes darken for a moment before a bright orange glow replaces them. The herbivore's doe-like eyes shifted into sharp calculating ones as the frown became undetermined, hiding all emotions from sight.

"Hibari Kyouya", the voice was calm yet it was spine-chillingly cold even to Hibari's ears as he felt his excitement bubble over. The herbivore was no longer a herbivore, as he sense a taste of blood-lust coming from the other; an air of someone who wouldn't hesitant to kill.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" Hibari couldn't help but need to confirm that it was indeed the same herbivore he had just rescued. Something was telling him it was not the same person regardless of the fact that he had not yet taken his eyes off of the boy; meaning the person he was looking at was the same one he had saved.

"What is it that you want from me?" Tsuna asked in that same cold voice, "You don't seem like one who would want anything to do with me."

Hibari smiled, the boy really does seem to know him; "I want to bite you to death."

"Oh…is that all…" Tsuna asked amusement tinted over the calmness and coldness. He had understood that statement in the way that Hibari had meant it, but Tsuna couldn't help but want to play the boy a little.

As Tsuna had wanted Hibari seems irked and he bends down to pick up his torn piece of cloth as a distraction in order to calm himself. Dusting the handkerchief, he tosses it over to the shorter boy, "Heal your wounds. I don't fight weaklings."

Tsuna smiled when he caught the white handkerchief, "Sorry for ruining such a lovely piece of cloth", his voice was still cold, yet Hibari couldn't help but notice a slurry tone to it, one that made him angry for some unexplained reason.

Tsuna dropped himself on the ground without a care, making Hibari lend forward for just an instance, it was more like a twitch of fear before his nature cover it up. But the brunet notices it all the same.

"Don't get too close to me Hibari-sempai~", his tone now teasing causing Hibari to strike his tonfa into the shorter boy's head.

Tsuna just bend his neck backward avoiding the hit, his smile still affixed upon his face as Hibari grew angrier by the seconds. The committee leader had finally taken his bait.

"Not bad" Tsuna commented when Hibari continued on with his first strike by turning the tonfa so that it can attack on it end, hitting the brunet down on his face. Only the fact that Tsuna had seen it coming saved him from the ground shattering strike as he roll off to the side just before the steel weapon landed. Hibari flew back to his original spot as Tsuna sat back up.

"Care to make a deal with me, Hibari-sempai?" Tsuna asked. Only the fact that Tsuna had sounded serious made the prefect stop from his next charge at the brunet.

"Deal?" he was curious. What kind of deals would the herbivore want to make with him? What sort of exchange could the herbivore give someone like him? Someone who had everything, who need nothing?

"Yes, a deal", Tsuna's face returned to that calm and calculating façade as his cold killing intents brushed against the prefect's aura, pushing it back even "I want…no, I need your protection."

"Protection?" Hibari couldn't believe it as he tested the word out against his lip. Why would someone as strong as the brunet need protection? Were his enemies really that strong? Excitements filled him at those thoughts, "What kind of protection do you need?"

"You'll know when the time comes…" Tsuna answered with a hint of dark malice, "…in exchange I'll fight you until you're satisfy. That was what you came to see me about wasn't it?", he finished with a smile.

Tsuna waited for the prefect's answer, knowing that he would accept, but also knowing that the man had a pride of a wolf; he would protect his own pack, but to protect outsider was not something he was willing to do, even more so when Hibari is a lone wolf. It be a long wait. He decided to take the time to treat to his own wound, surprised a bit by amount of blood loss on his thigh.

The sound of ripping clothes causes Hibari to snaps from his sudden surprise to watches as Tsuna tear off the piece of his blood-soaked pant. Wiping away the excess blood with the tatter remind, he started to lick his wound, like the cat Hibari had imagined. The prefect couldn't help but blushed at the scene; how could he just lick his wound like that? Doesn't he have any shames? Especially since his wounds were near the inside thigh lower halve.

Hibari had to marvel at how flexible the boy was with his body. The brunet had rise the appendage over his head when his torn pant slipped a little. Hibari couldn't helped growing redder as he saw more pink flesh as the lack of fabric slipped farther down.

Orange eyes met grey as Tsuna finished up, "Are you enjoying the show?", that slurry tone returned as Tsuna ripped apart the remain of the handkerchief in order to turns it into bandage which he use to tied up his injury.

Hibari could only watched in silence anger for the insult, but couldn't criticize the brunet for it since he secretly did felt heated watching the boy. The image of the kitten had pop in his head again and he couldn't help it; the boy was cute...only as a kitten.

"Hibari-sempai, your answer?" Tsuna asked calmly, getting off the ground, dusting his bottom as he stood.

Hibari blushed at the question. _Why did he want to know if he enjoys it? Did the herbivore think that he was a pervert?_

Tsuna laughed as if he had read the prefect's mind, "About our deal, Hibari-sempai.", Tsuna explained when he saw the older man's blushed in embarrassment.

Hibari felt his face grow heated up once again out of some other emotion beside anger, and was about to charge another attack at the brunet, when he saw the boy fell back on the ground.

"Heh…guess I'll get my answer next time…H-Hibari…" Tsuna mumbled before falling face flat into Hibari waiting arms since the prefect had continued his charge.

Needless to say, Hibari was confused. Why did the herbivore just faint? Before his mind could come up with an answer the sound of chirpings took his attention away.

The bird was still there? "H-Hibari, H-Hibari" it chirped stunning him for a second before his mind deducted that it was just a smart bird.

"My name is Hibari, don't stutter my H" he ordered not surprised when the yellow bird repeats after him.

"Chiiiirrr" the yellow bird suddenly chirped as it hopped toward the brunet in his arms.

Looking down he notice that the boy was waking up. "Him?" Hibari asked the bird, "he's just a very interesting herbivore."

"H-huh?" Tsuna asked still lost within his hazy mind, "Wha—Hibari-sempai!" Tsuna shot up from his position on the black hair teen's lap. Looking around, he was distracted by the yellow bird chirping by his leg. Noticing that his pant had been ripped, fear jumped into his heart for a second before dispelling due to seeing the bandage wrapped around his thigh.

"Did you wrapped me up, Hibari-sempai?", Tsuna asked with a smile quite different from the one that Hibari had saw on him before, "Thank you, Hibari."

The prefect looked surprised that the brunet didn't remember what had happened moment before and even more so by the dropped horrific on his name. The boy was really like two different people and he just couldn't help but be drawn into the boy's unexplained differences in characters.

"Hibari, Hibari", the bird once again chirped making both males looked at the tiny creature.

Tsuna looked surprised, Hibari looked annoyed. "How cute? The bird learned your name Hibari" Tsuna exclaimed to the prefect before turning back to the bird, "Can you say Tsuna?"

"Herbivore, Herbivore", the bird chirped instead. Tsuna whined about the name but Hibari couldn't help but internally laugh at the brunet; a secret revenge for making him red in the face.

"Come Hibird" Hibari commanded standing off the ground. Tsuna follow his actions, dusting what was left of his pant, before thinking it over and ripping off the other side as well so that it become the same length.

"You named it Hibird?" Tsuna looked disbelievingly at the older male. Hibari ignored him before walking off with the tiny bird on his shoulder.

Reborn dropped his tree-bark disguise as Hibari leaded Tsuna back onto the path heading for the shrine. A large frown on his face as he watched Tsuna tripped over a tree root, but that wasn't what had him frowning. He was disappointed to see that other side of Tsuna appeared again. This time longer then last and the boy had even went as far as asking Hibari Kyouya for protection.

He never really did like that side of Tsuna, but he knew that ignoring the boy when he was in that mode was an even worst idea. Tsuna is never wrong when he is like that and to see the boy making that deal, Reborn got the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm currently looking for a beta-reader. If you are interest or know someone, feel free to contact me.<strong>

**Next chapter will have more action scenes and a certain squirrel will make his appearance.**


	8. Nighttime Star and Lonely Cloud

**AN: I just want to thanks my two beta readers: Nekokratik and PrimoGiotto5510 for pointing out my mistakes and helping me clear up some confusing part. Thank you!^_^**

Chapter 8: Nighttime Star and Lonely Cloud

Tsuna was still confused; twenty minutes later when Hibari had taken Hibird to get a better first aid and he was left alone on his patrol route once again. He faintly remembers Hibari pushing him down and getting angry when the man had just laughed at him, but did he fainted after that? Why did he faint? It was lucky that Hibari was not one to hurt an injured person or who knows what might've happened. Why was he still so weak?

"Tsuna!", Ryohei shouted finally seeing the younger boy again after hours of searching, "Where did you go? Everyone was searching for you! They were all extremely worried!"

"Huh?" Tsuna couldn't understand it. Why would they be worried?

"Where did you go anyway? Why are your pants extremely torn?" Ryohei asked all at once unable to be patient enough to wait for Tsuna to answer all his questions.

"Calm down Sasag-", he wasn't able to finished when Ryohei got into his personal zone.

"I told you to call me Onii-san!" Ryohei screamed, making Tsuna backtrack a few paces, holding his bleeding ears.

"O-onii-san calm down" Tsuna tried once again, "I ..." again he didn't get to finish when Ryohei grabbed his arm.

"Come, we need to tell Yamamoto and Octopus-head that you have been found!" Ryohei explained. Tsuna had to lift a brow at Gokudera's new nickname; when did the two get so close and why such an awful name? He didn't have time to think of anything else when he was dragged off the ground and got pulled through the crowded festival street.

"Octopus-head! Yamamoto!" Ryohei repeated over and over again as he rushes through the crowd. Many people looked over at him but he ignored them in favor of looking for the two males.

"Noooo! Give it back!", the screams of a louder voice than Ryohei's made the boxer stop, almost making Tsuna go flying into the air. Only thanks to the fact that the boxer didn't let go of his arm saved Tsuna from the clashing fate that awaited him at the wooden stall.

Looking over toward the screams, he finally saw what had caught the boxer's attention; a group of drunken men were holding up a huge red book as a kid, around the age of ten, cried for the book. People were fledging from the groups sensing danger as they avoid the little boy's eyes that were pleading for help.

Ryohei released Tsuna's hand before storming his way over toward the boy and the group of bullies. Tsuna didn't want to move, recognizing a few of the men as the low rank yakuza who had picked on Lambo not long ago. It had seems that they haven't learned their lessons yet and were still picking on younger kids; Tsuna got a bad feeling about them.

"Mind you own business!" one of the bullies had pushed Ryohei away when he demands that they return the book. Tsuna couldn't help it when his feet move forward to help the older male despite his mind shouting for him to stay.

"Give back that book!" Tsuna growled annoyed with his mind's warning and the fact that one those drunken men had tripped Ryohei to the ground when the boxer reached to grab the item. They were laughing which Tsuna couldn't help, but send a kick into the man's precious jewels, causing the book to be dropped.

That unfortunately was not the best move to make when the yakuza decided to strike back. Four men instantly surround Tsuna, some with pole, while other crackles their fists.

Ryohei grabbed the book as he got back on his feet, seeing that Tsuna got a fight on hand; he grabbed the kid who had tried to get his book back and dragged him away. "Tsuna, I'll come back!", he shouted as he lead the kid toward the area the crowd were seen heading. He stopped when he notice Tsuna's scream.

"Kid stay here!", Ryohei shoved the boy behind a empty stall before heading back to help his little brother.

The blond boy overcame his courage to poke his head out to watch the fight.

The image of Tsuna sending one of the men over his shoulder before pulling out his knife to prepare for the next blow was scary. It was like watching the devil drawing his blade. The clouds overhead had decided to block out the single moon above as the golden lamp burns to provide light, giving Tsuna an eerily look.

He didn't know what made him think it, but the name "Vuoto", enter his mind. Maybe it was Tsuna's shortness or the way he fearlessly strike down his opponents, but he couldn't help but shiver from the sight. Yet, he didn't coward away from his position, "I've finally found you ...", a statement of hope kept him watching the fight unfold.

Ryohei entering his field of vision as the boxer send one of the yakuza flying with an extreme right. The man was shiningly bright against the dim festival lightings, blocking out all previous thoughts from the boy's mind. Instead, he found himself wanting to help brighten the sky with the man.

Holding tightly to his book, he begin to recite as objects around him started to float into the air; "Ranking planet, this is Fuuta. Please tell me the ranking of their chance of winning ... Tsunayoshi Sawada prowess is 82,727 out of 82,727 and Ryohei Sasagawa prowess ranking is 3,333 out of 82,727 ... they're going to lose."

Fuuta sink his head back down below the counter, holding tightly to his large red book, praying for the first time for his own ranking to be wrong as a trail of tear escape his eye.

-KHR-

Ryohei stopped his punch when he notices the number of men he punched hadn't decrease. Looking around to judge the situation he was in, he shockingly discover that the number of yakuza had grow quite a bit, maybe by five times ... or seven. He shake his head when he determined that the number didn't really matter since he was going to beat them all anyway.

Tsuna being too focused on one stubborn man didn't notice as one of the already beaten yakuza had reawakened. The man on the ground grabbed his leg, causing him to split his legs apart like an experienced gymnasts, which prevent him from rolling onto his side. He took that challenge from the man as he pushes his hands onto the ground to stop from falling completely, before flipping into a handstand. Using the spread legs, he send wave of spin kicks into a couple of nearby enemies, knocking about three of them down. A sudden sliding kick on his hand, unfortunately send him down to the ground.

With the abrupt loss of balance, Tsuna was unable to protect himself from the next strike as two men grab his legs and another two pin down his arms. Tsuna didn't need his intuition to warn him of the danger he was in. Being in the position he was in was enough of a hint. The shaking of his body from the contact of human's skins and the pain from one of the men squeezing harder than necessary on his arm was another no-brainer.

"I remember you now", the sudden voice made Tsuna open his eyes despite the pain he was feeling. Tsuna faintly remember the man standing over him as one of the yakuza from weeks ago. "The kid that made us lost track of the cow-brat. You're not so tough now are you? Without that bat-freak and crazy dynamite guy around you're just a weak little brat. I'm going to enjoy beating you up." The man confirmed Tsuna's suspicion before sending a heavy foot into Tsuna's gut.

Tsuna couldn't help but let out a groan of pain as the shoe landed on him. The man sends another strike into his arm this time and Tsuna had to shut his eye once more to block his tears. Another blow landed on his chest causing him to temporary lose air as he choke on a bit of iron liquids forming inside his throat. The man was laughing with the other four holding him down before he decides to land one more kick on the stomach.

"Just kill me!", Tsuna manage to grumble out between the kicks that the man had continued to send into his body.

The yakuza stopped for a moment to laugh in his face, "Kill you? Where would the fun be in that?"

Tsuna spited at the fact that it hit the man. He wants the man to get angry enough to kill him in his rage. Tsuna wants to die. Being held prisoner is the cruelest thing that could happen to him. He growled when the man was slow on the outrage, looking confused at how Tsuna had managed to get to him even though he was held down by four full-size men.

"I rather die by your weak attempts of bullying than to suffer from Reborn's punishment for being captured." Tsuna explained hoping that his comment would boost the man's anger.

It did as the man send yet another kick into his stomach and he couldn't help but scream out the blood building in his mouth.

Ryohei watched in horror for a split second as the yakuza stomped on his little brother. He cursed the gods for not allowing him to go to the younger boy's side as he sends another punch into a man's face. Tsuna was strong and Ryohei knew that better than anyone having fought against the boy once, but being pinned down and defenseless was Tsuna's greatest weakness. The boy didn't attack after all. Defense was his strong points, but as he is now, Tsuna was going to die.

He was going to die, yet Tsuna couldn't help, but laughed in spite of his crushed lungs and bloody mouth. It was so absurd; the person who was once so feared by so many was going to die by the hands of weaklings. The irony of the situation was so laughable, but at least he was finally going to ...

All thoughts of death were blown away by the sudden storm and heavy rain as Gokudera and Yamamoto arrived on the scene. Tsuna couldn't help but see them glow; whether from his imagination or against the slowly clearing moonlight, he wasn't quite sure. One thing he was certain of however was how amazing the two seem to be, standing back to back. He couldn't determine which of the two looked more radiant; Gokudera with his scowling face holding his favorite deathly dynamites between those beautiful slender fingers or Yamamoto's graceful stance, a wooden katana in hands as he showed the world his focused façade.

"Juudaime"-"Tsuna", both males called out to him at the same time and Tsuna couldn't help, but let the tears he had been holding escape from his eyes. He couldn't even figure out the reason for those tears as he watch the blurred vision of Gokudera sending the dynamite into the air with shouts of anger that he couldn't make out. The watery figure of Yamamoto seemed to disappear for a second before a strike of his wooden sword created a wave which sweeps away the men holding him down.

Tsuna didn't bother getting up as he used his free hands to hide his tears. He was slowly starting to get the reasons for his tears the longer he watched his three classmates fight to defend him.

The reason he cries after being saved by those three. The reason he cries even after those yakuza ran away. The reason he cries as he was surrounded by his three saviors. The reason being that's he had wanted to live. He wanted to live. He never wanted to die. So he cried. He cried out of joy, out of sadness, and even out of anger. He was a coward, who wanted to die, yet he feared death itself; he was such a disgraceful human-being.

Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei were at a loss at what to do. Tsuna was still crying even after they had finally beaten the yakuza, had treated his more serious injuries with a lousy first aid they had ransack from a festival booth, and even when Ryohei took back the wooden katana from Yamamoto to give to Tsuna as his prize for hitting the bell. In fact, Ryohei's gift only seems to have made Tsuna cry even harder as the three scurries around in confusion.

The appearance of Fuuta did what the other three couldn't as the young blond boy walked up to the four. "Tsu-Tsunayoshi Sawada?"

His question made Tsuna snuffed his tears and rubbed his eyes red with his tatter sleeves, "Y-yea..."

"Tsuna-nii! You're Tsuna-nii!" the boy exclaimed as if that made all the sense in the world as Tsuna and the other three looked at the boy in confusion, "You're really him! My name is Fuuta. Fuuta de la Stella and I have been searching for you!"

Tsuna completely forgotten the reason he was even crying a moment ago as Fuuta introduced himself.

"I needed your help, Tsuna-nii." Fuuta begging eyes made him looked terrifyingly like a baby squirrel, making Tsuna tilted back a little away from the boy, almost as if he was afraid to hurt the small creature. "Please help me!"

Gokudera broke his way between Tsuna and the boy, sending Fuuta a glare, "Juudaime doesn't need to help you!", the bomber screamed evidence of fear laced his voice despite the harsh tone.

"Maa, maa Gokudera, aren't you being a little harsh?" Yamamoto asked, his smile ever presented as he patted the Italian's back. Gokudera pushed his hand away, shifting his glare to the jock instead. Harsh he may be but he was afraid that Tsuna would agree to help the boy when he was still so badly injured.

Gokudera had been by Tsuna side since the first day they met, and by now he had seen his beloved Juudaime never once turning down any requests asked of him. It may have been just a weird coincident, but Gokudera didn't want to take any chance concerning his wonderful boss. Even if he had to go against the cute squirrel boy, he was going to protect Tsuna.

"He's extremely right, Octopus-head! You should at least hear the kid out!" Ryohei added before Gokudera could start a fight, "We could always help Tsuna out if it's too hard for him to handle alone!"

Gokudera seems to be considering it for a moment before giving a reluctant "fine", since Tsuna was already asking the squirrel boy about his request while he was dealing with the two idiots.

"Tsuna-nii, please protect me from the Todd Famiglia!"

Gokudera pulled Tsuna away from the boy. "No can do." He answered for Tsuna before the brunet could even answer. "Juudaime is forbidden from contact with any Famiglia until his inheritance."

"Famiglia? Is that Italian for family?", Yamamoto asked looking confused, "Tsuna are you related to the Todd family? Todd Tsuna?"

Ryohei couldn't help but laugh at the bad naming sense as he was hit on the head by Gokudera for laughing at Tsuna. Yamamoto receives a similar bump on his head for his joke as Tsuna was once again approached by the young boy.

"Please, Tsuna-nii is the only person I could ask." Fuuta was crying now which made his big round eyes look so much brighter and his chubby cheek all the rounder, "You are the person rank number one on lack of ambition to obtain my book." Fuuta tighten his hold on his red book.

Gokudera rushed back toward Tsuna's side, "Look kid, I already told you that Juudaime can't have any contact with ...", he growled, but stopped when Tsuna's extended hand prevent him from getting closer to the crying boy.

"Fuuta de la Stella. Ranking Prince Fuuta, I don't think I am the right person to protect you." Tsuna explained, "Since you have searched me out, you must known that my service fees are high and if a higher offer is presented to me I am willing to betray you on a moment notices."

"That's not true!" Fuuta refused to believe it, shaking his head vehemently as if the harder he shakes the truer his statement become. "You are also rank first for being the most reliable to come through for your clients!"

Tsuna wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh at the naiveties of the young boy. It was true that he is the most reliable to finish a job his client had assigned him, but once the job is done, he would accept higher paying customer to betray the same client he was working for. He had no allies, no goals, and no trusts. He only got enemies. Tsuna couldn't laugh. He couldn't laugh at how terrible a person he really is.

"I'm willing to pay you!", Fuuta screamed as a last result, "I'll pay you with my own services! My ranking is always 100% accurate! I can give you any ranking you ask for, so please protect me!"

"Didn't you rank me as the number one person to lack any ambition on obtaining your book? Why would I need your service?", Tsuna asked, curious by the boy's attempt to buy his protection, "Aren't you afraid that I might use your ranking for the very same people who trying to capture you?"

Fuuta looked as if he regretted looking to Tsuna for protection before his resolve hardens once again, "Tsuna-nii isn't like that! My ranking said so ... but if you betray me I tell everyone your deepest fear!"

Tsuna jumped. Pains shot through his entire body. Before he could grab the boy, Gokudera chose to hold him still instead of threatening the squirrel boy.

Fuuta was glaring with angry tears, "You're the only one I can trust ... my ranking told me so." he explained, his angry glare soften into sadness as the tears flown endlessly down his chubby cheek.

Tsuna pulled back from Gokudera, his body slowly stopped his shaking, from anger or fear, he wasn't quite sure as he sat back on the ground too tired to move. The boy was too much of a reminder of himself and those accurate rankings of his were really all correct. Tsuna sighed in defeat, "Fine, I'll help you." There was no other choice for him to make after all.

"Pathetic." the cold unemotional voice made Tsuna turn to look at the source albeit the pain rushing through his body. Reborn was standing on one of the stall's counter, holding a toy rifle in one hand over his shoulder. On his head a red Tengu mask replaced his favorite black fedora as the indigo yukata overtook his black suit. "You accepted another job even though you requested to cut all ties from the Family."

Tsuna couldn't help, but sulked as Reborn's words hit him where it hurt the most. The truth of the matter that he could not denied.

"... But you accepted a great offer this time, Baka-Tsuna. Unlike the brainless cow you took in, this boy is the Ranking Prince, the endlessly flowing fountain of knowledge. A great asset to your little Family."

Tsuna looked up at Reborn in fear at his words, "What are you talking about, my family? I'm an orphan, Reborn!"

Yamamoto and Ryohei seem shocked. They didn't know that Tsuna was an orphan. Sure Yamamoto had been to the brunet's house a couple of time now, but he had always thought that Tsuna was just living away from his parents because of circumstances.

"No! We're brothers now!" Ryohei exclaimed. "Don't you remember that we became brothers a little while ago?"

Tsuna looked at Ryohei shocked. He didn't think that the boxer was that serious about them being brothers.

"What?" unfortunately, neither did Gokudera, "When did you became Juudaime's brother? Why am I, Juudaime's right hand, not notified of this? What right do you have to be Juudaime's brother anyway?" he growled, "I have more right to that!"

"Then you can be the second brother", Yamamoto exclaimed, "and I'm Tsuna's third brother."

"Can I be Tsuna-nii brother too?", Fuuta asked getting into Yamamoto's pace.

Tsuna couldn't get a word in as he watch the four males decide on their positions, Reborn watched in amusement, "Isn't that great Tsuna, you got such a lively Family now." he commented after seeing Tsuna looked to him for help.

-KHR-

Needless to said, Hibari was not amused. Disciplines were challenged, the festival was a mess, people were crowding around in panic, and he was housing a crowd of pathetic herbivores.

"Thanks again Hibari!", the boxing club captain Sasagawa Ryohei had came barging into his slumber grounds and demanded the use of first aids for the same little herbivore that destroyed his property. He'd wanted to growled and throw them out, but seeing as the herbivore had gotten hurt trying to protect the discipline of his territory, he had no choice but to allows them in to treated their wounds or just the herbivore's wounds seeing as the other three males weren't injured at all. The little pipsqueak they brought along was scratch-free as well. What had happened, he would find out later from Tetsuya Kusakabe as he left the room to the taller man of discipline.

"They can stay the night, but I want them out before I awake." Hibari ordered his vice chairman before sliding the paper door shut on his way out.

Pathetic. It was pathetic how weak the herbivore called Sawada Tsunayoshi was when he finally received the report of the festival incident from Kusakabe a few hours later. And yet Hibari couldn't help but wonder if the kid was really that weak. The same kid who had managed to escapes from his attacks, times and times again. The same kid who had offer him a fight of a lifetime. The same kid who brought out a hidden side of him.

He found his hand unconsciously reached to pet the small canary on his shoulder as he thoughts on the brunet. As if the thoughts had brought him, Tsuna had stepped out of the room they had been assigned.

"Family, huh?" Tsuna sighed, unaware that he was being watched. He walked down the wooden steps of the shrine as he headed toward the sweet fragrance of the cherry tree. Gently tapping his head against the tree as if to get his brain to jump start from the hit, Tsuna gave up when nothing but a slight throbbing answered him. He turns his back toward the tree as he lend against the rough surface. Slowly allowing his weight to drag him down the trunk, Tsuna found himself seated on soft moist grasses.

His knees pulled together as he rested both arms against the other, laying his head down in thought. "Can I trust them?", Tsuna whispered but the wind seems to want the message deliver to the older teen above the tree as Hibari caught the words, "Could I finally stand within the light with them?" he wished someone could answer him as he looked toward the cloudy sky, hoping that the moon would shine it soft lights upon him.

Almost as if the cloud had heard him, they move, ever so slowly away from the moon. The brilliantly bright light glowed all the more brighter against the pitch blackness of the night. The cherry tree, he was leaning against, blazed a dazzling magenta flame. Tsuna couldn't help, but marvelous at the beauty of the tree. Pushing off the wet ground, Tsuna backed away from the tree as if it was really on fire.

However, as beautiful as the tree was, Tsuna couldn't help but notices the black contrast of Hibari's silhouette against the brilliant light. The man was amazingly black, hiding within the shadows of the leaves, yet still seem to glow in his own special light of darkness.

He reminded Tsuna of the purple lily he witness early that evening; so different and lonely within the sea of familiarity and rowdiness. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel as if they were similar in a way; both surrounded by people, yet felt so alone in their own vast sea of the community.

Hibari couldn't help, but think of the answer to the brunet's question as he watched Tsuna look up at him. The gentleness of the boy he knew seems to contrast the strange sense of power Hibari perceive from the boy he saw now. Standing so calmly and gracefully with his head lightly tilted upward toward the sky. The moonlight looked almost like a stage light focusing only on him.

There is no way this boy can stand in the light. Hibari couldn't help, but think. The boy was just too blindingly bright. Like the pure light itself, it was almost astonishing that he could even see the boy within the light at all. Maybe it was because of those pale brown clothes or those dull gray bandages covering his body that gave him shape. Either ways he was amazingly vivid even against the light hazes washing over the ground; a premonition of danger spiked his aura the thicker the fog became.


	9. Mysterious Midnight Mist

**AN: Before we start reading, I just want to send out thanks to those of you who reviewed my story. I'm always happy to received them even those I don't answer all of them. Secondly, I just want to thanks Nekokratik for the beta.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: The Mysterious Midnight Mist<strong>

Tsuna couldn't help, but hugged his arms together for warmth as the light vapors around him raised higher and higher, reaching his knee and slowly crawling toward his waist. His intuition blaring out alarm of warnings as the night air grew colder.

Hibari seems to have noticed it, too, because the prefect jumped off the tree he was on and landed by Tsuna's side. Without making a sound Hibari just give Tsuna a look as if saying 'You sense it too?' before calmly keeping his dark eyes on the lookout for any signs of dangers. Tsuna by his side was doing the same as he gave Hibari a nod which Hibari understood without looking at the boy.

Both tensed as the mist grew thicker; Tsuna hugged his body tighter, the cold air making him chill to the core. He shut his eyes when a gentle wind whistle through and made the temperature lower than it already was.

When he reopened his eyes, he found the mist gone. His first thought was that the wind had blown the blue-ish vapors away, but then his mind had reminded him that it was impossible with such little amount of wind.

Before his dawdling mind could create another false conclusion, Tsuna found himself standing in a black room with numbers characters painted in red against the wall, the floor, the ceiling ... no, those numbers were floating around the room or for a better description of it, the blackhole he was standing on. The place didn't have an exit or an entrance. There exist no window and Hibari seems to have disappeared. Tsuna couldn't help, but fall to his knees at the sudden thought that he was trapped ... alone.

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><p>Hibari Kyouya vaguely felt a presence dropped by his side, knowing that it belong to the herbivore despite unable to see the brunet; the presence was bright after all and the only presence that was bright to him was the weak herbivore.<p>

With a lack of things to actually hit, Hibari decide to strike poor Tsuna and since they were unable to see each other, the hit had landed on the poor brunet's face.

Tsuna let out a scream of pain from the invisible attack as he grabbed his offended red nose turning purple. It hurt. It hurt so badly that he couldn't even stop the leak of tears that escaped. His watery eyes faintly noticed another strike of metal and this time he dodged by lying down.

"Stop hitting me!" Tsuna screamed from the ground, "Are you Hibari?"

No answer. Even the swinging of metals had stopped. Tsuna slowly got off the ground being careful of any strikes aimed at him.

As his luck would have it an attack did fly toward him, but not one of steel or flesh. The floating numbers around him were like dodge balls aiming to knock him out as an explosion sounded each time the number missed or bumped another number in their path.

Tsuna was in excessive pain as the bombing number landed on his already tattered body. Getting any more hits would probably be the death of him as he forced his legs to jump. Landing was just as painful as the jump, and as Tsuna crawls to escape another blast, it was already hell.

"You've changed." the sudden disappointed voice was echoing everywhere around the room. It was a familiar voice that he was sure he had heard before. A unique tone of voice that seems to be covered with venom even though it was soft and melodic, an unforgettable sound and yet Tsuna for the life of him, could not remember the owner of the voice.

"Kufufufu" the manless voice laughed; the laugh was familiar to Tsuna's mind as well, "Have you forgotten my voice?" he asked. Then once again Tsuna found himself surrounded by a light mist.

The mist disappeared as slowly as it came and in its place stood a tall teen, although to Tsuna everyone seems to be taller than him. The long dark blue hair of the man was scrunched up in a fraying bunch like a cluster of grass making it look like the stem on top of a pineapple since the man head was long in shape. His whitish pale skin, unlike Gokudera's invigorate glow, seems to give him an ailing fragile looks. His smile was probably the most comforting feature on his face seeing as his eyes were a mismatch of red and blue, yet even his upturn lips made Tsuna shiver in fear.

"Mukuro ..." Tsuna mind finally provided him with a name. Rokudo Mukuro, the man that was on the most wanted list at the Vendice's main office. Currently, his poster was still posted there seeing as the man was still free from the Mafia's highest security prison.

_The first time he had saw the man was at that same prison, his face was posted on top of many other the posters plaster on the wall when Reborn had brought him there to be registered as a member of the mafia. The place they went to was quite ordinary compared to the rumors he had heard during his training with Reborn._

_A simple room with a round counter seated in the middle of the room. A single door opposite the entrance was the only other door in sight, where it lead, Tsuna could only guess to be the place where they kept prisoners as two tightly wrapped men in bandages, who he would later come to known as Vendice, were guarding the door. The counter workers were regular humans compare to the Vendice guards standing all around the room as Reborn led him toward a young man of twenty._

_The process was fast; a snap of his picture, a quickly filed form and some typing on the computer was all it took for him to officially become part of the mafia. Once done, Reborn made a request to the man on duty before excusing Tsuna to wait by one of the many empty benches around the room. It was surprisingly quiet, not that Tsuna couldn't understand why. The Vendice were men of the strangest beings, almost as if they don't really exist and yet they held an overwhelming presence that people just want to fled from._

_As he waited, he couldn't help, but overhear two visitors gossiping among themselves. Both women looked strikingly similar to each other with dirty pink hair that had been let to grow and black eye-masks upon their face. Tsuna couldn't tell if they were twin or not, but their appearance was enough of similarity that he concluded that they were._

_"They still haven't capture the illusionist?" one of the two girls had stated with a pointed thumb toward the poster behind her._

_"Yes. The Vendice believed that Rokudo Mukuro is using some kind of illusion that is able to fool even them."_

_"Illusion on the Vendice? That's not possible. Vendice had strange abilities that allow them to see through illusions."_

_"That's just show how dangerous Rokudo Mukuro is. But then again, he was a kid of the destroyed Estraneo Famiglia."_

_"The Estraneo Famiglia, huh ... They're that Famiglia of scientists who were labeled as dangerous because of their forbidden experiments, weren't they?"_

_"Yes. The speculation was that they were experimenting on their own kids and one of those kids just happened to be Rokudo Mukuro, who went mad during the process and end up destroying the whole lab and everyone in it."_

_"He became a monster?"_

_The first women nodded, "But even monster got their uses ... I supposed that's why the Vendice wishes to capture him so badly."_

_Tsuna didn't get to hear anymore as the two was greeted by one of the bandage guard and Reborn had come back for him. He couldn't help, but take another look at Mukuro's poster as he was guided out the Vendice's office building. The blue hair boy of eight with heterochromatic eyes was turning his head around as if he was just taking a look back out of fear despite a sneer on that pale white face that said otherwise._

_The next time he saw that face was on a thirteen years old boy's. The ten year old boy he was looking for, out of curiosity, was now three years older, a year older than him even, not that he would know at that time._

_He only saw a tall preteen boy laying asleep on a broken down brown couch that might had been white once an upon a time. The building itself rivaled, if not older than the couch in age with boarded up planks of woods on doors and windows. How the boy had gotten inside? He wasn't sure, but Tsuna soon found himself tearing down the boards trying to get in._

_"What are you trying to do?" a sudden voice asked from behind him, caused Tsuna to turn around, although not out of his own will. His hands were being wrapped by thick vines as he was pulled into facing Mukuro._

_Tsuna eyes widen as he stare into the taller boy red eye. He never really notice before on the boy's poster that instead of the normal black pupil found within the eye, his red iris contained a faint character for the number one._

_"I'll asks you once again, what are you trying to do?" Mukuro repeated when Tsuna just stared quietly at his right eye. The eye he was implanted with at the age of six, the eye known as the six paths of reincarnation, the eye that he had grew to hate._

_"So beautiful ..." Tsuna couldn't help but mumbled, lost in his own thoughts as Mukuro's red eye seems to captured him in it mysterious aura._

_Mukuro was shocked out of his illusionary hold as he stepped away from the short kid before him. He wanted to know what the boy was trying to say. It wasn't possible for anyone to think that his eye of six paths can be ... he couldn't even find it in himself to say the word._

_It was impossible for the eye that caused so many deaths to be called by that word. It was after all a cursed eye, an eye that can only cause pains and sufferings. An eye that brought him down the paths of hell, hungry ghosts, beasts, demons, humans, heaven and yet had never really shown him the place he could belong, a place where he could find happiness; a cursed eye indeed._

_Mukuro found himself closing his eyes at the thought, only to felt a small shaking warm hand touching his right face, slowly crawling up his cheek toward that curse of an eye as if asking for him to open them. He complied, if only to see who had wanted to see that terrible blood-red eye of his._

_Mukuro wasn't surprised to see that it was the same brunet still staring at him since the kid was the only person there and the first to comment on his eye in such a weird way._

_Tsuna couldn't help it as he reaches up. Hand trembling the closer he got to the boy's face, he wanted to see that eye again. Why? He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't help but felt attracted to the strange sphere of red regardless of the fact that red usually remind him of blood and death. That red eye did just that, and yet he also felt a haunted beauty to the sphere._

_"Do you seek death?" Mukuro asked a little annoyed that the kid had still not removed his tiny hand from his face._

_"Yea ... maybe ..." Tsuna answered whether to his own question of why he was so drawn to that red eye of death or to Mukuro's question, he wasn't quite sure, "Death would let me finally be free."_

_Mukuro wanted to killed the kid off right then and there for his stupid reason, wanting to show him that even in death, freedom is but a fleeing dream and yet, he found himself unable to shifts his eye from the path of hell to another as he became capture by Tsuna brown orbs of warm caramel or was it a fiery orange heat._

_He pushed brunet away out of shocked at the minimum change of light, "What is it that you want kid?" he asked as a frown of confusion flash though his face for a mere second before annoyance replaced them. The kid was making him weird ... weirder than usual in any way._

_"I-I ..." Tsuna shuddered, "I wanted t-to meet you."_

_Mukuro looked surprised for a moment before a smirk appeared, "Kufufufu ..." the laugh send a chill down Tsuna's spine as the older man continued, "Do you even know who I am?" he was sure that the kid didn't know anything about him, but oh was he wrong when Tsuna bluntly answered._

_"Rokudo Mukuro, former member of the Estraneo Famiglia and is wanted by the Vendice for the Estraneo Famiglia's destruction."_

_"And yet you wanted to meet me?", Mukuro could help but chuckled that creepy laugh of his at the boy's naiveté, "Aren't you afraid?"_

_Tsuna was surprised when he found himself answering Mukuro's question without a hint of fear or shuddering in his voice, "I'm not. I just wanted to meet you."_

_"Why?" that question however, was left unanswered as even Tsuna himself wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was the fact that he was looking for someone to kill him, or the fact that was he just curious, or maybe even because he was lonely, but Tsuna couldn't give the teen any of the answers he was thinking._

_"I tell you what ..." Mukuro whispered into Tsuna's ear, "I'll come find you ... and then, you can tell me then."_

_Tsuna wanted to ask why, but before the word even escaped his mouth the preteen was gone only to the sound of footsteps heading toward him. Tsuna decided it was time to leave before anyone came into view._

"Kufufufu ... on a job, my little hitman," Mukuro laughed, "Some little boys had wanted me to get rid of a short brunet with orange-brown eyes and I just knew it was you."

"Little boy?"

"I believe that they were low ranking yakuza. Usually I wouldn't even give them the time of day, but then your description showed up. You know I was searching for you since that time ..." Mukuro reprimanded, "you never did give me your name and then you disappeared entirely ... Although~ ... an interesting person did appeared around the time you disappeared. Now what was his name again ..." Mukuro watched as Tsuna took a step backwards, "the heartless assassin ..." Tsuna looked down at his feet, "the well known Sangue Copriva Figlio."

Tsuna had fell down to his knees when his mind translated those Italian words to Blood Covered Child, but Mukuro continued, "Vuoto." the name was the last straw as Tsuna covered his ears in hope that by blocking out those words, he can deny their meaning. He did not want to hear anymore. His eyes shut painfully closed to hide the tears that threaten to fall.

"I'm not in the mafia anymore!" Tsuna screamed shooting Mukuro a heated glare that burn the man from just the look alone, "I've toss that name away when I moved to Namimori!"

Mukuro laughed at him, "You have changed indeed, but it seems that your naiveté had still not faded away even after two years since we last met." Mukuro walked over toward Tsuna, a metal pole slowly taking shape in his hands, "You can't escaped the mafia just by throwing away a name." the pole in his hand solidified and extend into three points at one end, "You can't forget the amount of blood on your hands. The amount of lives you destroyed." The trident Mukuro was holding, crept closer towards Tsuna as the brunet start shaking his head in a panic, "If you want to escape the mafia there is only one way ..." he whispered sweetly, "Allow me to kill you."

Tsuna seems to be thinking for a moment before a defeated nod escaped from his body. The boy's action slightly surprised Mukuro for a second before he decided that it didn't matter to him. He was about to strike when an off-handed question floated to the forefront of his mind.

"By the way ... why did you searched me out two years ago?", he asked curious as to the boy's answer. He was sure he knew, but he still wanted to hear it from the boy himself; that he was searching for a place to die.

"I-I really don't know ..." Tsuna's answer made Mukuro pulls back the trident for a moment longer. Staring at the brunet who was still unaware that Mukuro was about to steal his body, "I-I just wanted to met the boy in those posters ... I just wanted to know how he was so strong ... how is it that he could keep smiling after all the hells he has been through." Tsuna was crying again for the third time that night and he had to wonder if maybe the tear tanks in his eyes got a leak somewhere. He never cries so much in so long, so why was he crying so much tonight?

Mukuro was at a loss of what to do as he watches Tsuna cries. A painful stab hit his heart caused by the fact that he was the reason for the tears, yet pulling himself together. Mukuro was ready to strike the boy with his trident again, if only to put him out of his miseries, but he was stopped once more. He was blocked from his strike by the unexpected swings of steel as he found himself using his trident to block the hits.

Attached to the steel tonfas was the jet black haired Japanese teen dressed in black, Hibari Kyouya. Cold steel-blue eyes were glaring right at him and he soon realized that his illusion had been broken.

Mukuro looked back at Tsuna knowing that he was somehow the cause since his illusion always seems to break around the brunet's presence. Illusions were all about concentration and Mukuro had one of the best concentrations around, how else was he able to fool the Vendice for so long.

But for some reason, he could never fully concentrate before the brunet whose name he still had yet to learn. It was preposterous for him to have such an idiotic weakness, but he couldn't change what was going on through his mind.

He growled when Hibari scratched his face during his distraction. The brunet was really going to be the death of him one of these day. He had to kill the kid first!

Mukuro twirled his long trident over his head before bring the metal down, stabbing Hibari on the chest. The prefect managed to dodged by a hair length before the number in Mukuro's red eyes changed to the number four, the path of demon in which his fighting abilities increased giving him an added boost of strength.

Mukuro charged at the prefect at the same time Hibari smashed into him. Both males exchanged blows after blows leaving behind only sounds of clashing and flashed of metals. Tsuna watched in horror as blood started splattering into the air as trident and tonfas touched fleshes. They rained down liked heavy raindrops being pulled by gravity.

Spots of reds landed everywhere as the black surrounding returned to the normal night-time scene. Mukuro had allowed the released of his illusion in order to face Hibari in full force and Tsuna couldn't help but notice the change of Mukuro's red eye turning into the number five. His intuition blaring louder than he could remember them sounded, warning him of the dangers that was coming from the red eye.

Tsuna found himself screaming for them to "STOP!" and surprisingly both men did stopped if only to see what he wanted. "D-don't fight, p-please ..." Tsuna demanded, slightly surprised at his own courage against two very tall and very scary blood-covered males who had just fought like monsters out of some fairy tale adventure story. He was so going to get kills.

Mukuro was uncomfortable to say the least. He had been about to head onto the path of human just to kill off the annoying blood-thirsty prefect, but once again, he found himself losing his murderous intend just from hearing the brunet's fanatical voice. The kid really will be the death of him.

He turns to face Hibari once more, his trident falling to his side, not willing to disappear just yet, "Should we stop? Morning is coming soon and my contract only lasted for one night.", Mukuro smiled.

Hibari return the smile with a glare, but accepted the request to stop if only for the fact that he didn't want the peace of Namimori to be further disturbed. They were already making too much noise to his liking and making more by fighting was not the responsible thing a disciplinary leader should do.

-KHR-

Reborn cursed himself for being careless as he fell to his knee, his body ignoring his orders to moves. He had been watching Tsuna all night from a distance, holding back when Tsuna left Ryohei's side and the boy had to play a game of hot-and-cold with a yellow bird. He even bit his tongue to keep from jumping in when Tsuna changed into the form he like to calls hyper-mode.

In that mode, Tsuna senses became heighten, his intuitions are shockingly accurate and his battle skills increase immensely. But the personality of the hyper-mode left much to be desires. Reborn just labeled it as 'creepy'.

Then Reborn had to nail his feet onto a branch of a nearby tree as he watched his student get tortures by illusions. Baka-Nono and his order to not interfere. Why hasn't that stupid student of his open the Ninth's letter yet! Didn't he keep reminding that Baka-Tsuna every morning to open that damn letter! Didn't he threaten that he wouldn't leave until the letter is read? He guessed it must not have been a great enough threat for the boy anymore. He must think of better tortures to get that boy to be more serious about that letter!

His frown deepen as he stood upon his perched watching Mukuro disappeared into a light mist and Hibari walked away. Tsuna was still on the grass at a lost to what he should do. Reborn decided to just leave him, knowing that Tsuna would gather his wits sooner or later, much later if he was correct and he was almost always correct when it concern Dame-Tsuna. So he left.

Reborn had a more critical mission to complete after all; to find out how those low-level yakuza had gotten hold of the ever-evasive Mukuro who even had the Vendice at a lost.

His information networks lead him to _Red Sea_, a small restaurant at the run down district of Namimori. There he met up with a man with blue and green dyed hair. The look had made him want to kill the guy for reminding him of a certain gay assassin. The man even held a pair of sun glass in his hand as he twirls it around in boredom.

"Argus", the man introduced himself and Reborn couldn't help but spare a glance at the man for his name since it was a name of a Greek mythology's monster with many eyes. He determined that the name was probably just an alias and went on to business.

Argus didn't have much information on how the yakuza got into contacted with Mukuro. However, he did provided Reborn with another interesting piece of information; a new gang has currently made their home on the west harbor of Namimori and Reborn just had to check it out.

This was where everything went wrong as he found himself on his knee, his body out of his control, and him being surrounded by ten men with guns the moment he stepped into the warehouse. Oh, did he mention that those guns were pointed at him as the familiar face of a black hair man enters his view with a repulsive smirk.

"I am going to enjoy this revenge, Sun Arcobaleno ..."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh and before I forget...I'm sorry to those of you that think this story is 2718 or 7218. The last two chapters was only because I needed some way to get Hibari intrested in Tsuna...and because I wanted to see a <strong>**flustered ****Hibari. This is a Family/Mystery genre. Although, now that I think about it...**

**Do you guys and gals think I should change the genre to Friendship instead of Mystery? To me the story no longer seems like the mystery story that I had planned so I'm just asking for a second opinion. **

**Thanks, signing out.^_^**


	10. The Sky's Darkness

**Chapter 10: The Sky's Darkness**

To say Tsuna was worried was not an exaggeration as he had passed that point two days ago when Reborn didn't wake him up with the tutor's favorite routine, Vongola wake-up-call or as Tsuna like to called it—an electrocution. For Reborn, everything had a rule and the baby hitman was totally breaking his own rules when he didn't appear to bother Tsuna for three days without a note of leave or a reason of any sort.

The likeliness that Reborn had went on a mission without leaving a note was lower than the chance to win the lottery. Although its a secret, the baby hitman was a bit of a paranoid and would always erase his presence from any town, city, box, closet, or wherever he stayed before disappearing. He had once told Tsuna, "Leaving any evident behind is the death of a hitman."

But as Tsuna scanned the room he shared with Reborn two days later, the baby hitman's hemlock, pajamas, and even his coffee maker were all still there. So was Reborn's favorite book, the neatly folded second pair of matching black suit, the black tooth brush and coffee flavor toothpaste ... everywhere he looked, Reborn's present was still dreadfully in existence and that must mean that something unexpected had happened.

"Juudaime," Gokudera called from the doorway, "Don't worry too much about Reborn-san, I'm sure he just forgot to tell you he was going out for a bit." Gokudera wanted to bite his tongue for his lie, even to him it sounded so untrue. Reborn forgetting; that's just wasn't possible.

"Thanks, Gokudera." Tsuna got a bad feeling that if he didn't tried to cheer up the bomber, the Italian was going to bite his tongue or something for his bad lie, "You're right. Reborn is more of an adult than he looked, so I'm sure he fine." His words were more for his own benefit than Gokudera's; for Tsuna's intuition had been alarming him of dangers since the sudden disappearance of Reborn.

"Tsuna-san!" Haru cheerful voice was a great welcome into his disturbed mind as the brunet girl popped her head under Gokudera arm to peek into his room, "Haru is going to drop Lambo-chan off at the day-care now!" she happily chirped as Gokudera jumped away from the door surprised.

He was sure that female had a strange sense of presence; the girl could make herself feel so invisible to him one moment only to have an un-ignorable presence the very next, very much like another annoying baseball freak he had the unfortunate fate to meet.

"Oh Haru," Tsuna stopped her from leaving, "I can take Lambo to the day-care center for you. Your school is a bit off distance from here right?"

"No worry, desu! Haru got a bike!"

Tsuna looked at her a little bit shocked, not expecting Haru to own a bike, so he was a bit surprised when Haru pulled him out to show him the plain white bicycle with a child seat lodged in the back. It was not the type of bike he had imagined her having, even though he had never seen a bicycle before.

Strange, you said? It may have been strange to think that he had never seen a bicycle before in his life, but for Tsuna it was really, the unchangeable truth.

"Amazing, there isn't an engine!" Tsuna had exclaimed earning a look of disbelieve from the four other residents. Fuuta had been staying with them for the last two nights seeing that the boy had nowhere else to go and he was currently a client of Tsuna. He was to stay in Gokudera's room since the bomber was the only occupant of the house without a roommate.

"Dame-Tsuna sure is Baka." Lambo stated arrogantly. "Even Lambo-san knows that there isn't an engine on a bicycle."

"Lambo, you shouldn't be so mean to Tsuna-nii." Fuuta exclaimed as Gokudera hit the little cow on the head before locking him into the child seat behind the bicycle so the kid can't move.

Tsuna however, couldn't hide his embarrassment as his face turns a light powder pink. He couldn't help it if he never seen a bicycle before. Reborn had only shown him how to use a motorcycle during his training stating that he should at least learn it, since public transportation can't always be counted on especially with his past occupation, as a hitman for hires.

Thinking of Reborn, Tsuna's intuition couldn't help, but blare in alarms. But against his better judgment, Tsuna decided to ignore the warning as he watched Haru and Lambo leaved for school.

Gokudera took that time to escorted Fuuta back into the apartment seeing as the boy had refused to go to school and to grabs their bags. The bomber found his boss still waving in the direction that the girl and kid had disappeared in after the five minutes he was gone. He was sure that Tsuna was still worried about Reborn's sudden disappearance, that's being the only thoughts the brunet had since yesterday evening.

"Juudaime," he called his boss to attention, "Don't worry too much, Reborn-san is probably just preparing some sort of surprise for you."

That statement of his made Tsuna pale by a shade and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing, but seeing Tsuna recovered with a faltering smile and a "Let's head to school", he couldn't ask the boy another word.

* * *

><p>School was the normal, uneventful day Gokudera had expected; apart from the fact that their class was to welcome a new student, Vin Contiello. The boy was as tall as the baseball freak, with long waist-length black hair that look to be a dark shade of purple tied at the bottom to keep it together. His eyes remind Gokudera of the dark Italian's sky of navy blue and his face couldn't be said to be anything less than perfect.<p>

Surprisingly, the boy was of an Italian heritage and for a moment Gokudera had believed that the boy might be send by the Ninth to replaces him as Tsuna's right hand man, but that fact was quickly wiped from his mind when the boy didn't look a bit as if he knew about the Mafia. Beside he never received any order from the Ninth of his released from the position.

He decided to take a look back at his beloved boss and was slightly alarmed to see the brunet looking disturbed. The baseball freak sitting next to him just smile at the new student unaware. He held on to his seat to stop from marching over to the said jock and up-smack him above the head for being so dense.

The rest of class went on as normal, but when break time arrived, he couldn't help, but notice that once again his boss had acted out of the ordinary. Where he usually sits at his desk to avoid everyone around him, Tsuna had left the room at the speed of light the moment the bell had rang.

Gokudera spend the entire break time searching for the brunet only to find him back in his seat five minutes after their next class had started, claiming that he was at the nurse office, which Gokudera known for a fact he was lying, having check that place twice in his search.

At lunch when the baseball freak once again, joined them to share his food, Gokudera noticed that his boss wasn't eating as much as usual and stopped completely when the jock talk about the new student. He took a peek at the new boy to see him being surrounding by the same three girls that had surround him his first day here as well as a few male students. Not that Gokudera can blame them seeing that the new kid was quite the charismatic-type, losing only to his beloved Juudaime.

But Gokudera couldn't help but think that the smile on boy's face was a sickening reminder of the baseball freak he was eating lunch with, but where Yamamoto's smile held a melancholy trait, the new kid held a sinister sort of feeling to his smile.

At the signal for school to end, Tsuna had disappear back home before Gokudera could even packs his bag. His boss end up locking himself in his room that evening, refusing to even eat dinner and when asked if he was alright, the four residents would receive the same, "I'm fine." from the brunet before silence fell within the house.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was scared. He was scared and didn't know what to do. He was able to avoid that man today, but what was he going to do tomorrow? How did that man find him? Why was he at his school? How did he fool everyone into thinking that he was fourteen?<p>

No ... Tsuna knew the answer to that last question, it was an illusion. Mukuro's sudden appearance had reminded him that the mafia world had illusionists and he had no doubt that that man was using an illusion to fool everyone that he was still fourteen.

Tsuna became angry at that thought. That man hadn't learned anything since that time four years ago! An image of a once beautiful mansion was smoking and glowing in red faded in and out of focus within his mind.

Tsuna toss away the blanket he was hiding under as he jumped onto his feet. It was time. He had been preparing for this day for four years!

Dashing toward his clothing stand, Tsuna pulled out his bottom drawer, where he pulled out that HK pistol of his from under all his unfolded socks and underwear. He made sure that the piece of metal was loaded before rushing back over to his bed where he pulled out a black suitcase. Wondering if it was really okay for him to touch something that belonged to Reborn, when he know that he would regret it one day. Nevertheless, the image of that man made him unzipped the bag and opens the lid, regardless of the consequence.

As he had expected, a whole array of weapons greeted him once the cover was off. He gave a silent thanks to Reborn for his thorough lessons, even if they were a bit dangerous with the hitman using the weapons on him as demonstration; he at least remembers what each weapons does and how they worked now.

There, lying within the case, were simple weapons such as knifes, guns, chains, and mace. Then there are those heavy duty weapons like missiles launcher, mini crossbow, laser bo staff, and even pocket full of shurikens.

Strangely, Tsuna didn't grab any of those as he found himself attracted to a pair of black gauntlet glove. It was simple in design, black leather covered his whole hand as a layer of soft metal held the wrist in place as well as around the extended fingers. A fading round sphere with a large 'I' sat on the center of each gloves surround by more fading letter around the circle that Tsuna couldn't read.

Putting the gloves on, he was surprised at how soft and comfortable the fabric felt against his hand and even more so by the fact that the gloves strangely fit his hands. But as much as he liked the weapon, it was pretty useless to him, being a weapon that required close-combat and Tsuna was quite the failure at close-combat as Reborn had continuingly told him. He decided to grab a few other weapons for caution as he stored the gloves in his pocket.

* * *

><p>A week passed by painfully slows for Tsuna as he struggled to avoid the ever-growing-in-popularity teen. As each day passed, Tsuna intuition cried louder in warning.<p>

He was glad for the fact that Gokudera and even Yamamoto had kept his mind from thinking about Vin Contiello during lunch and that the hard lessons of his classes kept him focused on the teacher in charged. But during break time, when Gokudera was busy with the teacher and Yamamoto is dragged away to help other clubs, Tsuna usually hid in the bathroom, often coming back five minutes late to class.

However, today of all day he found himself unable to escape as Vin blocked his way out the class before he was able to get out.

"Sawada-san, I have been meaning to introduce myself to you all week." Vin smiled. "I heard that you are also from Italy, is that true?"

Tsuna wanted to spit on him for asking something he already knew, but held back when he saw that almost the whole class was watching them interacting. He nodded, before trying to get away, only to have Vin followed after him.

"Then you should know of the Rainbow." Tsuna found himself stopping despite his will to ignore the man disguised boy, "Don't you think that the yellow shade of the Rainbow is so light that it's almost as if it's going to disappear."

Tsuna stared at Vin in shock and anger knowing that by Rainbow, the man was talking about the Arcobaleno and by the color yellow, he was talking about the sun Arcobaleno, Reborn.

"Do you like the Rainbow, too, Sawada-san?" he asked as if the Rainbow was some sort of Italian band. "Wanna talk about it up on the roof? I'm sure you'll be able to see a wonderful sight of the sun." Vin suggested as Tsuna unwillingly accepted within the mention of seeing Reborn. He followed the long hair boy up the stair toward the roof only to find it empty as he glared at the taller teen.

"What is it that you're playing at, Vincent Contiello?" Tsuna growled in anger. "What did you do to Reborn?"

Vincent just laughed, "Oh! I'm so glad you still remember me Tsu-chan. I thought you must have forgotten me with the way you've kept ignoring me."

"What did you do with Reborn?" Tsuna repeated louder.

The smile on Vin's fair face turns into an unemotional frown as he watched Tsuna anger flare, "I haven't kill the Arcobaleno off yet. No ... not after what he did four years ago. I won't let him get off so easy with a simple death." Vincent pointed an index finger over the roof towards another faraway rooftop.

Tsuna followed the path of the man's finger to see two people standing on the flat rooftop of a distanced building. The first was a young teen girl, probably not much taller than him which for a second he had thought was Mukuro if not for her female school uniform. The second person he recognized right away as Vincent's right hand man, Sergio. The shocking red hair was one Tsuna could never mistaken for someone else as it remind him so much of the dark red blood the man had on his hands. Then it was there that he saw it. A bird cage big enough to hold a tiny kid inside was generated by electric green light around the cage. Inside was Reborn trying to move from his position on the bottom of the cage while Leon was sleeping just next to him.

"Release Reborn now!" Tsuna screamed pulling out the knife he always used as he turns back to Vincent.

"Are you sure about that Tsu-chan? Sergio will kill the Arcobaleno off before your knife even touches me." The smile on Vincent's face was maddened with happiness at the thought of the Arcobaleno's death that Tsuna couldn't help but loss the strength in his arms. He knew that Sergio would really kill Reborn if anything; even if a scratch touched Vincent's body.

The man was a heartless killer after all. He had even killed the last boss of the Lillarosa Famiglia, the man who saved him from the harsh streets of Italy on Vincent's requested.

"That's a good boy, Tsu-chan." Vin walked closer now that he sense that Tsuna had lost the will to fight, "I won't kill the Arcobaleno since you are being such a good boy." He landed a hand on Tsuna's head and the brunet couldn't help but flinched away from the hand before sending the teen a glare.

"I'm not the same person I was four years ago!" Tsuna declared more to himself than to the other man as he lifted the knife again, "I don't know what you are planning, but let me warn you that if anything were to happens to Reborn, I will kill you!"

He wanted to leave the roof, to get away from Vincent before his anger boiled to the point of no-return, but the man wouldn't let him leave. "I suggest you listen to me Tsu-chan or I will be forced to hurt not only that precious Arcobaleno of yours, but those two boys who always hang around you!" he roared in his own anger that his plan wasn't working in the way that he had hoped. He was so sure that Tsuna would have done anything to save the sun Arcobaleno, but the boy had grown to be rather independent.

Tsuna didn't know what came over him. A part of his mind told him that Vincent was only saying that to get him to give in and fall to the man's plan, while another much stronger part of his mind screamed that he should just kill the man. So he charged.

Unlike his normal controlled attacked or his hyper-model, Tsuna's current state of mind only knew how to attack like a cornered beast that he was. He just wanted to hurt the man that had driven him to the point of being so insane.

Tsuna didn't care about anything or anybody; as far as he was concerned, the more people who died, the better. People were all the same; untrustworthy, back-stabbing, cold-hearted, selfish beings who only cared about themselves! How many jobs did he get where the clients requested that he killed their rivals, the person that they hated, and even a person that just dirtied their shoe? Even those victims of his thought about getting revenge on those that ordered their death! He hated every ones of those bastards and bitches for adding to the list of crimes he had to committed!

Tsuna couldn't even count the number of times he tried to stab at Vincent only to have the man dodge. Even when he was grazed by something hot against his wrist, Tsuna didn't let go of the knife as he launched himself at the black hair teen before him.

Vincent didn't even looked scared as Tsuna tried to strike him, he knew the boy enough to see through his movement and in the blindness rage Tsuna was currently in, there was no way the brunet could hurt him in any way.

Then Tsuna's body seemed restrained. He didn't know why Vincent's sudden smile disappeared nor why he didn't seem able to reach that man anymore nor could he remember when two pairs of hands had taken hold of him, screaming his name and asking him to stop. Looking up, he saw two very comforting people; Gokudera and Yamamoto. Both of them were holding him back with all their strengths and both were shouting his name.

Tsuna didn't understand it, but he didn't want to fight against their hold on him. As he slugged in their arm Tsuna could feel Yamamoto patting him as Gokudera being the one directly before him had his hands around him in a hug. He allowed it, falling deeper into their holds. The tears he didn't know he was holding came rushing out once his face landed on the bomber's chest.

Tsuna couldn't remember when or how he had grown attracted to the two holding him, but he felt safe. He felt their supports flowing into his tattered mind and weakened body and Tsuna couldn't help but laugh at his next thought; they weren't being hostile toward him, instead they accepted his faults and craziness. They were the definition of friends he had looked up from the dictionary once upon a time. He couldn't help but laugh at the thought that he finally found a friend—no two friends that he could trust, yet why was he feeling so anxious about that fact.

Gokudera and Yamamoto were at a lost at what to do as they guided Tsuna down the stairs from the roof. They had come back from their talk and club activity to hear about Tsuna going up to the roof with the new student. Gokudera instantly seeing the black hair boy as a rival, had charge up to the roof if only to beg Tsuna to let him continue being the right hand man. Yamamoto followed after him wanting to see the poor silver hair's cute puppy face that he knew would appear around Tsuna.

Boy were they in for a surprise when they saw Tsuna trying to kill the new kid with that knife that he always kept around. While Gokudera charged right in to stop his boss from committing a crime. Yamamoto was at a lost of what to do.

The reason he was able to stop the brunet when he attacked the baby was only because he was close by and his body had taken action before his mind did. Back then, Tsuna had a reason for being mad and there was still a light within those golden caramel eyes. Now however, Tsuna was attacking the new kid without any sign of consciousness as he attacked like a beast. To put it in simple term, Yamamoto Takashi was scared. Was it really the right choice for him to have tried to become the brunet's friend?

For Yamamoto Takashi, the kid was an endemic of sort. He had always seemed so amazing and exclusive to the jock despite everyone else's blindness to Tsuna's skills and abilities, that he couldn't help but find himself drawn to the kid. The closer he had gotten to the kid, the more wonderful he thought the brunet was and yet at the same time he couldn't help but become afraid. Why? He still didn't know, but Takashi believed that he would be able to find the answer if he continued to stay close by.

"Hey! Some help, baseball freak!", Gokudera sudden pled snapped Yamamoto from his shock as he jumped in to help Gokudera take hold of Tsuna's left arm. He notices that the Italian sure loved being on Tsuna's right side for everything, but a sudden pull brought him back to Tsuna. The brunet was sure strong for his small size as he dragged both Gokudera and him forward, inches by inches toward the new student, who Yamamoto couldn't help to see, was angry.

"Tsuna!" Gokudera had called out in desperation and Yamamoto couldn't help but want to smile, knowing that Tsuna would probably be happy to have known that the silver head had finally called him by name.

"Tsuna, snap out of it!", he couldn't let Gokudera take all the credits for helping Tsuna get back to normal as he added his own shouts into the fray.

As if in answered to their calls, the light in Tsuna's eyes slowly brighten as the boy turned toward them. Once recognition appeared within those huge orbs, Takashi found himself tackled by the brunet's hand as he got dragged down to the stone floor with Gokudera on the very bottom and Tsuna in between. He couldn't help but stared at Tsuna's hand clenching his sleeve, wondering why he never notices how small they looked or how frail the brunet actually was. He made himself sit up as he slowly patted the boy's back hoping to help the brunet in some way. He stopped when Tsuna started laughing.

Gokudera, however, seemed to know exactly what to do as he pushed Tsuna and himself off the ground before guiding all three of them down the stair when Tsuna refused to let go of Yamamoto's sleeve.

* * *

><p>Once seated on the infirmary's bed, Gokudera, preyed himself off of Tsuna, leaving Yamamoto at a lost at what to do. He had never comforted anyone before and so being alone with a still crying or laughing boy was uncomfortable.<p>

Lucky for him, Tsuna broke the silence, "T-thanks Ya-hic-Yamamoto-kun. Y-you and Goku-hicup-Gokudera-kun really saved me."

"Save ... no I didn't do anything, it was mostly thanks to Gokudera." he looked away from Tsuna feeling uncomfortable and saw Gokudera looking through the medical cabin with his back toward them. "He was the one who charged in first to stop you."

Tsuna nodded, "Bu-hic-but you stopped me too." Tsuna smiled and for a second Yamamoto was lost within his own world.

That was it. His mind had screamed at the light gentle smile on the brunet face. That was the reason why he wanted to get close to Tsuna ... the reason he became so afraid. The boy's smile was really too innocence and genuine compared to his own smiling face that he used to fool everyone around him into liking him. He was a coward who hid behind baseball, the only thing he was actually good at.

"Yamamoto-kun-hic-did you hear me?" Tsuna soft hiccupping voice made him to look at the brunet in confusion, he really hadn't paid attention to a thing the boy had said.

"Sorry, what was it again?" he smiled, again using it for his own sake as to lessen the boy's fury at his inattention.

Tsuna for some reason blushed, but continued nevertheless, "I said ... t-k ... for bei- ..." Yamamoto could say truthfully for once that he couldn't understand a thing the brunet said.

"Sorry, I didn't understand that, can you repeat that?"

Tsuna looked at him in disbelieve as his face turns red out of anger or embarrassment, Yamamoto couldn't really tell until Tsuna screamed the words again, "Thank you for being one of my first friends!" he hiccupped at the end as Gokudera had finally turned around and headed back toward them only to dropped the bottle of antiseptic and the roll of bandage.

Was that a confession? Unfortunately, Gokudera believe it to be so as Yamamoto found himself pushed off the bed when the silver head teen cried into Tsuna's lap for abandoning him for a dimwitted baseball freak.

Yamamoto decided it couldn't hurt to take revenge on the Italian for once for calling him a baseball freak and the bomber's terrible treatment. He jumped off the floor, slightly pushing Gokudera aside as he give Tsuna a hug and thanks him for the confession.

Tsuna unfortunately didn't catch the joke as he tried to explain that it wasn't a confession and that he also consider Gokudera as his first friend as well only to have it ignored as the two taller boys continue to act as their personality called for; Gokudera yelling at the jock while Yamamoto continue acting like Tsuna's lover in order to continue his childish revenge.

Once everything finally calmed down and Tsuna got his arms' wounds treated by Yamamoto since Tsuna had shooed the bomber away to get him some water. Gokudera surprisingly demanded—that was correct, Gokudera actually made a demand to Tsuna; "I want to know why you tried to attack that Vin something person?"

Tsuna looked down at his knees like a little kid trying to avoid the lecture they know was coming from doing something wrong, "He ... he captured Reborn." Tsuna whispered clenching the fabric of his pant knowing that he wasn't telling his two friends the whole truth of the situation. He wasn't ready to face his past just yet.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: WARNING the next chapter might be M-rated because I will finally <strong>**reveal the reason why Tsuna is how he is. Thanks for reading.**

**Beta-reader: Nekokratik-thank you!**


	11. Memories and Chaos

**AN: Sorry for the late update and the bad grammars in this chapter, but I couldn't contact Nekokratik, my beta-reader, for some reason, so just enjoy the next two chapters with bad grammars mistakes until I could contact Neko-chan again or when she become less busy to beta again. ^_^**

**WARNING: This chapter might be a little on the mature side, but I tried to make it as T-rated as possible, so if you don't like yaoi stop reading at the next WARNING sign! It a very light yaoi scene so don't worry too much about it going pass just some kissing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Memories and Chaos<strong>

"_He…he'd captured Reborn."_ Gokudera couldn't believe his ears even though those words had come directly from his boss.

"Reborn captured? Why? How?", Tsuna know that Gokudera's questions were justified since it was Reborn they were talking about. The strongest hitman, the strongest Arcobaleno, the ever sadist tutor _cannot_ simply be captured so easily.

But as for the _why_, Tsuna just couldn't bring it about him to voice out the reason. Anxiety bubbled within him as he saw a hint of knowing in the two males watching him; they know that he held the answer and yet Tsuna couldn't bring it about him to tell them. He hate himself as Gokudera willingly give-up the searches for an answer in order to start making plans on Reborn rescues.

For a moment, Tsuna wonder if he had really considered these two his friends. True, he had admitted to them that he sees them as his first two friends, but why couldn't he trust them. Weren't friends supposed to trust each others? Should he tell them? _Could_ he tell them?

The brunet continued to work up his courage as Gokudera continued to developed plans after plans with Yamamoto pointing out all the weak points and dangers that Gokudera had missed during the planning stage.

So absorbed with his own thoughts, Tsuna didn't really noticed how un-Yamamoto-like, the jock was acting when me he made a decision to at least warn his two friends of the dangers that was Vincent Contiello. As he was about to speak, the door to the infirmary slide opened, and all three turns to see the new visitor.

It wasn't a visitor as the three had expected when a drunken man in white lab coat wobbles his way in. He didn't seem to notice the three others occupants of the room as the shaggy man tumbles toward the medical cabin near the wooden desk by the window. Reaching in the cabin, the man had started ransacking for bottle after bottle, placing them back when none seems to be what he wanted.

Sighing in defeated after only just ten seconds search, the man popped himself onto the wheeled black chair before swirling around to face Tsuna and the others. "Well now, what do we have here?", he asked taking in the three teenagers before him.

Tsuna couldn't help but put up his guard when he heard how clear and steady the man's voice was despite being drunk. He know for sure that the man was drunk from the stink of alcohol around the room and the dim hazed within those black eyes, but the man's movement was totally in controlled. _He was acting drunk, _was the simple conclusion that came to his mind. For what reason, Tsuna wasn't sure, but he know from all those lesson with Reborn that only those who had something to hide would fool others.

"Shamal", the sound of Gokudera growling made Tsuna turns to the bomber. _Does Gokudera-kun know this man?_ The answer came in the form of another question directed at the doctor.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing a request for Reborn", the man whimsy declared, "He said something about his no-good student drawing attention of some dangerous guys and wanted me to protect the females around the boy.", Shamal was sparkly eyes at the image of middle school female students hang all over him.

"That's a lie! I can't believe you actually brought that!", Gokudera declared, stomping his way toward the school doctor, "It's obviously to treats Juudaime's wounds that he called you here! Also it was supposed to be a week ago! Juudaime is already fully healed!"

Tsuna couldn't believe it. But seeing as Gokudera was still reprimanding the man he called Shamal and putting together the fact that this man had known Reborn, his mind could only produce one answer.

"Trident Shamal?", Tsuna dropped off the bed he was on as he slowly moves toward the lab coat man and Gokudera. He never realizes how tired he was but it seems that his body was wobbling to his sense. Tsuna ignored it as he got more important things to think about at the moment. If he was right, Shamal will be able to help him contact the Ninth so that the man can rescues Reborn.

Yamamoto watched with worried when Tsuna wandered away from him. The boy had looked as if he was possessed, his movement's shaky and yet at the same time the boy was moving at a steady pace. He wanted to dash to the brunet side and held him back from whatever he was doing, but his gut told him not to interfered. Seeing as his gut has never leaded him wrong before, Yamamoto did as he was told.

Shamal was looking at Tsuna when he saw how weird the boy was acting while calling his name.

"Von…" Shamal stopped as he reconsiders what he was saying before settling on calling the brunet, "Sawada-san. What can I do for you?", he asked still watching the boy carefully.

"Please contact the Ninth!"

Shamal as well as Gokudera looked surprised while Yamamoto just looks confused.

Before Shamal can even get the word "Nono" out, Tsuna started wavering on his feet. Yamamoto disregards his gut feelings at the sight and dash over to the brunet just in time to catch him. Looking down to ask if the brunet was alright, he found Tsuna sleeping face staring back at him.

"Put him on the bed!", Shamal ordered, a hint of anger in his voice as he mumbles, "Sheesh…don't…males" before clearing his throat and walking over to Tsuna to examines him.

"Isn't he just tried?" Yamamoto asked when Shamal unbutton the suit to place a Stethoscope on the brunet's chest.

"If he was, he still wouldn't have fainted so suddenly" Shamal explained before removing the stethoscope to reach the penlight in his coat pocket. Gently prying the honey brown eyes opened, he examines the pupils.

"Well?" Gokudera hovered over his shoulder to look at his boss, "How is Juudaime?"

A frown was not the answer he wanted when Shamal turns to face him. The man pushes Gokudera to the side before walking over to his desk once more to make a phone call.

Gokudera know better than to disturb the man when he became all quiet since his mentor was barely the kind of person to stay quiet for long without a reason. He receives the reason when the phone finally connected, "Nono, can I have your permission to use my trident mosquito on the boy?"

A moment of silence in the infirmary as Shamal waited for an answer. Gokudera looked shocked before turning back to his precious boss in worries. _Is his boss poisoned? He is going to die? Juudaime cannot die!_

"Don't worry, he'll be alright." Shamal statement relaxed Gokudera even though the person he was talking to was the man on the phone.

Yamamoto on the other hand couldn't help but worries even more when Tsuna suddenly screamed out in terror.

_Tsuna didn't know what was happening, he faintly remember talking to someone, but the room he was in was empty of any other occupant. Beside people, the room was frighteningly bare of even possessions. It was the same bright blue room that he had gotten so familiar with. The same huge bed that he couldn't moves away from. The same suffocating silent that drove him crazier each passing days. The same scenery he could never escape from._

"_Tsuna", a voice had called him, kind and gentle with a command tone, the voice was his only escape from loneliness. Then he heard the light sound of chains breaking echoes through the silent room. Tsuna didn't seem to be able to comprehend the disturbance to his normal everyday routine as he turns to see the kind brown hair maid who took care of him since his first stays in the blue room. _

_A tiny light shone within those amber orbs as they met a matching pairs, "Nana-san..." Tsuna couldn't continue when the lady pulled him into a warm hug. He leans deeper into her bosom, her body heat warming his own frozen skins. He wish that time would stand still, but like with all of his previous wishes, they never come true as the woman pulled her arms away from him, taking with her the warmth._

_When it didn't completely disappear from his hand, he spares a look down to see her warm hand still attached to his wrist._

"_Let's go", she had pulled him off the bed and he couldn't help but be surprised at the action. His naked feet touched the cold hard floor, but he didn't seems to mind as the warmth from the woman's hand crawled though his body._

_Dark hallways after hallways they made countless turns, stopping from time to time to avoid the men wandering around. Tsuna never really noticed only focusing on the warm hand holding his. _

"_I'll get you out of here", Nana mumbled when she felt his hand tighten their hold, "I won't allows them to hurt you anymore than they have already done." _

_She patted his messy hair, a gentle smile graced her face as the light grow in his eyes at seeing her happy. He wants her to be happy; the one woman who was ever kind to him since his arrival about three months ago. He would do almost anything to make her smile._

_But she betrayed him! __**No!**__ That wasn't right; she didn't betray him…did she? Tsuna couldn't remember. He only remembers Nana leaving him by that man side. She had abandoned him. __**No!**__, his mind was screaming in denial of his claims or was it screaming at her betrayal? Tsuna couldn't tell the two theories apart._

_The only memories of that time his mind would provide him of were a large white room in which he was dragged into. He was beaten badly that time and there were images of men and women he couldn't recalled their names. Then blood…there was definitely blood, on the ground, on a body…on his…hand...he screamed._

Tsuna's screams had drawn the attention of the nearby classes as students and teachers alike rushed out of their class to see what was going on.

Those that gotten to the infirmary first had front row seat to see Yamamoto and Gokudera holding a screaming and struggling Tsuna down on the bed. Dr. Shamal explains to the few teachers that had gathered that there was nothing to worry about. Then he slammed the door in their faces and locking it from the inside afterward.

As the teachers tried to get their classes back in order, Tsuna's scream suddenly silence inside the infirmary when Shamal pulled out a thin blue notebook-like case from his inside pocket. Opening it gave Gokudera and Yamamoto a view of the content; pills of dark blue and yellow lined in rows of five and column of five on each side; a total of fifty capsule of the same design and yet the man seems to need the time to search for the correct capsule.

Instead of feeding the pill to Tsuna as Yamamoto had thought, Shamal flipped the capsule open and a single mosquito flew out. As the creature got closer, Yamamoto wanted to hit it, but was stopped by Gokudera holding onto his arm. Their releases on Tsuna's struggling body allowed the boy a single moment to attack them as Gokudera flew against the bed's railing and Yamamoto got slapped on the face.

_Tsuna couldn't believe her, the only woman-no the only person he trusted had sold him out to the same man who was making his life a living hell. He couldn't stop himself as he found himself pushing her away. When she continued to walk toward him he slapped her on the face._

"_I hate you!"_

"I hate you!"

Yamamoto didn't know why but his heart hurts hearing those words from Tsuna, even though he was sure that it wasn't directed at him, those words pained him. Gokudera seems just as affected as the two teens fought to hold Tsuna down so that the mosquito could do it job.

Yamamoto couldn't help noticing that the insect looked a little bit different from normal; where a normal mosquito had only one long mouth, this one looked to have three.

Tsuna slump back on the bed once the bug had bitten him on the neck. Both males released their hold on the brunet slowly afraid that he might suddenly attack them again.

After Shamal declared that Tsuna just need some rest, he sends the two boys back to class.

Once the room was empty and the footsteps of Gokudera and Yamamoto had faded away, Tsuna eyes snapped open. A strange orange glow appeared for a second before changing back to brown as he watches the doctor replace his capsule.

"Thanks", the gratitude of his word not really reaching his voice. Tsuna, then, pushed himself into an upright sitting position on the bed as he watches the doctor with amusement in his eyes.

"You should thank Reborn", Shamal just watch the boy before him warily, "He told me about your condition. If not, I wouldn't have notice that you had been hit with a drug instead of just a regular bullet.

How are you feeling? Any other effects the drug is causing?"

Taking a few second to himself, Tsuna did a quick body scanned to see if any part of his body was acting weird. With nothing wrong to show for his actions, he turns back to the doctor with the answer the man had wanted.

"No, everything is fine but he still not waking up", Tsuna was sure his answer was clear to the man even if he doesn't expand on it clarity, "I think he's still dreaming."

"You think? Aren't the two of you the same person?", Shamal asked. He was told from Reborn that the boy had a strong split personality, but he had never expected the boy to be so out of tone with his other self. Shouldn't the two personalities know one another better if they are the same person?

"Heh…Sometime I have to wonder." The brunet let out a tried sigh, "I sure see him as myself, but he…he doesn't even know I existed."

"Seem to be tough."

"Not really I actually preferred it this way."

Shamal wonder if that was really the truth since he could see a slight frown upon the boy's lip, but it was for no more than half a second that he had to wonder if perhaps he had been mistaken. He shook away those thoughts seeing as he didn't really care much for the boy's condition.

"Anyway, when do you think he would awake?"

"Not sure.", Tsuna replied carelessly.

The doctor didn't look too happy with the answer he was given. Although, he didn't care personally, he was currently responsible for the boy's safety since Reborn had decided to play MIA (missing-in-action). "Then you should pretend to be him until he awake.", he growled at the careless attitude of the brunet.

Tsuna couldn't stops the laugh that came from his mouth, "Pretend?", there was just no way he could pretend to be Tsuna since he is an alternate personality that was created by Tsuna. He couldn't change how he is unless Tsuna himself want him to change and currently the boy was not in a situation to make that change.

A knock sounded before the door was once again slide opened. Two female students in gym uniforms made their way in. One of the two, a short girl with blue hairs tied in a ponytail was holding her head while her brown hair friend was supporting her.

Both girls looked from Shamal to Tsuna, then back to Shamal, "Sensei, Miki-san got hit by a volleyball, can she rest here for a while?", the short copper haired girl asked.

Shamal instantly stood next to them, "Sure, sure. Stay as long as you like girls.", he was practically begging them to stay. The two girls moved away when their subconscious warned them of the dangers the doctor was emitting.

Tsuna laughers caught their attention. "You're such a flirt, Shamal. Not that I blame you, these two are quite cute", the brunet's comment earned blushes from the two girls as they decided that he was the safer of the two males.

Shamal growled seeing his targets getting distracted by the much bigger flirt called Tsuna. He decided it was time to get rid of the competition by ordering the brunet to leave the room, but that was a mistake when the blue hair girl decided that she was feeling much better and followed the brunet out with her friend chasing after her.

Shamal was left alone and depressed as he curse Tsuna in every words and languages he know before reaching into his desk drawer to pull out a bottle of whisky, "I gotta charge him triple when he come back.", the last statement was directed toward a certain little hitman baby of course.

The whole class couldn't help it when Tsuna entered the classroom's door. They all froze for reasons unknown. Could it have been the rumors they heard about Tsuna being rape by the two hottest boys in their class? Could it be that bump on Gokudera's head or Yamamoto's stinging red cheek? Or maybe the glare Tsuna sends in the direction of Contiello. Either ways, Tsuna seems to be even scarier than Hibari as the whole class, teacher included withdrawal deeper within their own personal space and away from the brunet as he made his way to his seat.

"How are you feeling Tsuna?", Yamamoto asked watching the brunet every moves in confusion. Tsuna was acting so strange, when not even ten minutes had passed since Gokudera and he had left the brunet alone with the doctor and now Tsuna was up and walking with such an air of grace around him that it just didn't seems right.

The smile Tsuna send him was also so unlike Tsuna's usual smile; it was so fake, "I'm fine Yamamoto."

The jock's eyes widen. Tsuna never dropped the honorifics on his name! His mind instantly shouted, "Who the hell are you?"

Gokudera stood up from his desk when he heard Yamamoto's question. Dashing over toward the two, he stared daggers into Tsuna smiling face getting ready to reach for a dynamite the moment he sense danger.

"Gokudera, Yamamoto is being a big meanie~" Tsuna's whining cause Gokudera to lower his defense against the brunet. A part of him said that this was his boss and he should hit the baseball idiot for his rudeness, but another part told him that the person before him was not Tsuna. He just froze, not knowing what to do.

Tsuna didn't seem to mind as the bomber struggled with his mind nor did he mind that Yamamoto was glaring at him. The brunet just put his arms on the table before him and flop his head into the hole to avoid everything that was happening around him. _Shamal should have just let him stayed in the infirmary._

Yamamoto and Gokudera was sends back to their seats by the teacher who seems to have regained his senses once Tsuna's face was hidden from view. It was like Dame-Tsuna had returned. But out of frustration that Tsuna had caused so much troubles and yet was now sleeping during his lecture, he decided to embarrasses the poor boy, "Sawada-san, please answer question eight!", he made sure that his voice was loud enough to wake the boy up.

Surprisingly, Tsuna just lifted his head at the first called and looked through his textbook, "_Eight", _he said in perfect English since he was reading from an English textbook. "_What does the flower in the poem represent?"_ Tsuna stopped reading to flipped back a page to scan the poem assigned to the question, "_the author's first lov…", _Tsuna stopped as he reconsider answering in English when half the class couldn't even understand him, "…the poet's first love was described as a red rose for her beauty in his eyes." and with the Japanese answer, Tsuna dropped his head back against his arms.

Sensei couldn't say anything. His plan to fully embarrasses the boy had totally backfire on him when Sawada Tsunayoshi answered the question so calmly and correctly that it left the whole class at a lost. Well, maybe not the whole class as Kyoko clapped her hands in excitement for Tsuna, Yamamoto was glaring at the brunet even more than before and Contiello looked a bit angry as well. Gokudera was with the rest of the class, feeling confused.

Once class break for lunch, Tsuna was instantly swamped by Yamamoto and Gokudera, the former still glaring, while the latter looked confused. Tsuna couldn't helped but let out a laugh at the sight.

"Is today opposite day?", he asked causing both boys to just stared at him.

"You know…usually Gokudera would be the one glaring and Yamamoto would just laugh off his confusion…"

Both boys continued to stay silence when Tsuna noticed orange hairs bobbing behind the two teens. It was the cute girl that had clapped during their lesson. She was walking nearby and since his two friends was still at a lost for word, he decided to treat himself to a little relaxing fun. Tsuna plastered a wide smile onto his face and he greeted the girl when she reached their desks.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan."

Sasagawa Kyoko stopped before him, returning the smile with one of her own, "Sawada-kun! You were amazing today", she commented.

"Thanks, but I'm sure a beauty like you can do so much better." Tsuna commented brusquely and Kyoko couldn't help but blushed.

Gokudera was getting more confused by the second as Yamamoto started to growls again. It was definitely not the Tsuna that they know.

Tsuna for his part just avoid eyes contact with his two reverse-personalities friends and walked toward Kyoko in order to hold onto her hand like he was about to place a kiss on it in greeting. The girl pulled back before he could do more than just touch it, but her face only grew redder in the process. Tsuna smirked at the action before softening the upturn lip into a gentle smile instead.

"Then as a replacement for a kiss, could you honor me by calling me Tsuna", the brunet smile was so sweet and pouty that Kyoko couldn't find it in herself to refuse.

"O-okay…Tsu…Tsuna-kun?", Kyoko shyly replied, hoping that it was alright if she attach the honorific to his request.

Tsuna just smile, "That's fine…" he was interrupted from finishing when Kyoko's best friend, Hana Kurokawa walk between them.

"What are you playing at Sawada-san?", Hana asked him roughly with a suspicious frown on her face, " First you act all smart-ass and now you're flirting with Kyoko? What do you want from her?"

"That a little harsh, Hana-chan" Tsuna pouting face was like a mischievous cat, "I was only trying to make friend with Kyoko-chan."

The skeptical look didn't leave Hana's eyes as she scanned Tsuna for any indication of his lies, but surprisingly she found none, yet the weird feeling she got from the brunet didn't leave her, "I rather like the old you make friend with Kyoko than the current you." She couldn't stopped the words from flowing out of her mouth before her brain caught the true meaning of her words.

"I always did believe that you were too smart for your age Hana-chan." Tsuna just smiled, yet beside Kyoko the others three felt a hint of disdain to his words. "It'll be in your best interest to just pretend you didn't notice."

Hana didn't understand him in spite of what she had said to the brunet, she was confused by his words. _Pretend she didn't notice? Pretend to not notice what exactly? His weird attitude? The sudden wants of attention? The different in his personality?_

"The last one", Tsuna replied and for a moment Hana had to wonder if she had spoken her thoughts, "I kind of wish I gotten to know you a bit earlier, you're a very sharp woman.", Tsuna carelessly commented.

Hana was totally shocked when she finally realized what was going on. Dame-Tsuna was not only flirting with Kyoko, but he was trying to flirt with her as well! She rarely got such high praise comment from boys her age so she blushed. Which only anger her farther for falling into his plan to make her blush and that in turn only cause her face to turns a deeper shade of red.

Tsuna's smirk proved her theory. Grabbing Kyoko's hand, Hana turned on the ball of her feet and began dragging her best friend away, "We shouldn't hang around such a dangerous guy, Kyoko!", she shouted leaving the three boy in an awkward silence.

That was quickly flooded away when Yamamoto grabbed Tsuna's shoulder to turns him around.

"Hana was right! What are you trying to do?", he was beyond angry as he growled at the shorter boy, "What did you do with the real Tsuna?"

Unaware that his shout had drawn the attention of those that were still in class Yamamoto was slightly surprised when Tsuna grabbed his hand.

"Let go", he mumbled giving the hand a tighter squeeze in warning. Tsuna didn't want to explain to them, these two were the last two people he wants to know his secret. Despite himself, Tsuna growled at the jock when the boy refuses to let go. In fact, the more pressure he put into the squeeze the harder Yamamoto's resolute seems to grow.

After a few minutes of a staring contest between the two in which sparks could be seen flying, Tsuna recognize defeat since he didn't want to hurt the jock any farther, "Fine.", he sighed. He never knew that Yamamoto had such a stubborn side as he grumbled a few inaudible words of annoyance before glaring at the jock again.

"At least allows me a place without any onlookers." At the brunet's statement, Yamamoto let go of the boy and finally notice for the first time that he had disturbed his classmates' lunch. He couldn't help noticing that the new transfer was glaring at him, but ignore it in favor of following Tsuna out the class, faintly noticing that Gokudera wasn't far behind.

Tsuna led them back to the infirmary, sliding the door open without a knock; he entered like he owned the place. Gokudera giving Shamal a brief look of disgust for the man had since wasted himself in boozes since they were away. Tsuna and Yamamoto, however, ignored the man entirely in their march into the room.

"Oh, you're back?", Shamal drunkenly asked with a slight growl, challenging the two boys to continued ignoring him. Part of him was still angry at Tsuna for chasing off the girls.

Tsuna just smile, taking in the present of the man since that was his wish "Couldn't be helped. These two were his chosen best friends. There was no way to fooled them and they wanted answers. I only wish they would have allowed me to play my role as you requested."

"Shamal what's going on?" Gokudera had turned to his mentor knowing that he would probably have a better chance getting an answer out of the doctor than his boss look-a-like.

"Should I introduce you?", asked Shamal as he ignore Gokudera and only looked at Tsuna to see what the brunet wants.

"Who are you?", Yamamoto got over his distraction when he saw Tsuna about to refuse the doctor.

"You're not giving me any choice?" Tsuna whined popping himself onto the infirmary bed. As one leg cross into an Indian sitting position, his other was bended with his knee facing upward where he laid his elbow against in order for his arm to act as a rest-support for his cheek.

Yamamoto frowns hearing the careless tone Tsuna had used. Once again, Tsuna had proven to him that the brunet before him was not the Tsuna that he considers his friend.

"Don't be like that Yamamoto-kun", the brunet comment surprised the jock and he couldn't help the thought that flowed through his head.

_He can read mind!_

"I can't read mind, if that what you are thinking.", Tsuna explained in a monotone voice. The careless tone that was there before disappeared completely making the brunet sound like a robot, "Not even Reborn had that power, he's just really observant and so am I."

Yamamoto wants to curse himself for being distracted by his original question time and time again. It had got to be the third times and yet he still haven't gotten the answer he wanted. The brunet was avoiding the answer as well and he could do nothing to get the boy to spill the beans.

Tsuna sighed as he watched Yamamoto came to a conclusion, a determined expression on his face. "Don't worry about my identity, Yamamoto-kun. The Tsuna you know will hopeful be back by tomorrow and I will be gone."

"Juudaime will be back tomorrow? Where did he go?" Gokudera pushed Yamamoto aside to get a better view of the brunet on the bed. The jock had already gotten his time with the brunet, so it was now his turn and Gokudera was determined to get his answers!

Too bad it was not going to happens when Tsuna felt tired all of the sudden. His body not moving except to lay down, and his eyes refused to stay open. Falling against the bed without warning, Tsuna left the three occupants of the room with a last order; "Don't wake me up." It was going to be hell but he got no choice but to face it. A small smile on his face contradicted his actual feelings.

Shamal was the first to understand his order and held back the two boys when Gokudera reached for the brunet with the intention of waking the boy for answer.

"Don't wake him up if you want the weak Sawada-san back.", the man was holding Gokudera's shoulder with a light squeeze but his focuses was solely on the brunet. A sudden movement from the jock made him stared in disappointment. "You really hurt him with those careless questions, you know."

It was a statement. A statement that made Yamamoto felt guilty. He known it wasn't right of him to judge this boy who had suddenly taken Tsuna's place, but he just felt a sense of fear being near the boy.

Shamal had wanted to continue but seeing the regret within Yamamoto's eyes, he decided that they weren't ready for the truth just yet. The truth of Tsuna's other personality that was a byproduct of mafia world.

"Lunch is about to end." Shamal sighed, "The two of you should get back to class. I'll send Sawada-san back home to rest, so Hayato if you could just grab his school bag when you leave…and no I will not allows you to miss classes, Sawada-san will probably be more grateful if you could take notes for him." He added since he just couldn't watch the pathetic look Gokudera was giving him before he literally throws the two teens out into the hallway.

Turning back to the brunet still on the bed, Shamal spared him just a look before heading back to his desk to get his daily reports done. He already drunk two bottles of whisky, anymore and he would probably get drunk for real and with his occupation, he was sure that was not such a good idea. Especially with the defenseless brunet putted in his charge. Reborn will definitely need to pay him triple for this.

* * *

><p><em>Tsuna was running down the dark corridor of a stone mansion, but every turns he took seems to lead him nowhere. Passages after passages, his little feet made their marks and yet, when he found himself standing before the door, Tsuna couldn't move. All the doors looked strikingly familiar to him with tan color wood and sparkly yellow handle.<em>

_Even so, his trembling hands made it way to the golden handle before him. Pushing the golden knob down made the door screeched and he would once again find himself facing another dark passage. Tsuna wanted to cry at seeing the familiar path of doors and walls, but held back those wretched tears as they make his vision blurry. He just couldn't afford a blurry vision when he was trying to run away._

_He wants to continue running, but when his exercise deflective legs betray his will. Tsuna found himself sliding down the floor, hands and knee slightly scrapped. Breathing was a challenge for his small lung after running for who know how long. He had been passed his limit over hours ago, yet he wants to escape. So pushing himself off the ground, Tsuna once again struggles his way through the hall._

_A light; he was being rewarded for all his hard struggles. Tsuna couldn't help the smile creeping on to his face. It was a weary smile, but a smile nonetheless as he made his way forward. He had finally found the exit!_

_However, before he even crosses half the distance the smile fell. Standing just before the shining ray of light stood two silhouettes that he recognized on sight. How could he not when he saw the same two men every single day._

"_Congratulation Tsu-chan." The long hair man chirped as he took a step forward. Tsuna back away for each steps he took and yet the distance between the two was closing in all the same. Tsuna turns to run only to trips, adding more scratches to his two little arms and legs. Nevertheless, Tsuna refused to stay down as he crawls against the ground. The light scratches on his body widen as droplets of blood stained the flawless white marble floor. He didn't care. The only thought in his mind was to get away. He had to get away!_

_The man quickly caught up to him with his long legs and stood before him once again. Tsuna didn't want to lift his head up, but when the man's smooth hand grabbed his chin, he couldn't snub away from the pull. His brown eyes landed upon those icy blue stone of the man's eyes. He wants to run, he wants to push away, and he wants to scream. But his body just refused all his requests._

_Vincent Contiello smirked at his victory, knowing that Tsuna had finally admitted defeat. But he wasn't finish yet. He needs to punish the boy. He needs to make sure that all thoughts of escapes were annihilate from Tsuna's mind._

_**-WARNING-**_

_Standing up, he dragged Tsuna's diminutive body along. They went pass the open door Tsuna was rushing for not moment before and found themselves within an unfurnished room. The wall was white and bare, not a single window was seen, and the only object within the room beside the three humans who had just entered was a large potato sack. The large brown sack was tied at the end and Tsuna couldn't help but notice it moved the closer they got to the bag. _

_Sergio, the red demon of the Lillarosa Famiglia with his ruby red eyes and short red hairs that just seem to be dyed in blood, walked up to the bag and untied it. Tsuna couldn't hold in the gasps that escape his lips as his heart pounds against his chest when a man crawled out the bag._

_The man had light tan hair that shone under the blinding light of the room, but Tsuna couldn't see his face. The black suit he was wearing was rustled up and tatter as holes could be detected if one looked closer. Maybe not that closes as dark red stains surround them. Tsuna fight the hold on his hand more ruthlessly as he tries to get away, but the grasp only tightens._

"_NO!", Tsuna screamed, his voice coarse and out of breath from his previous run. He was sure he knew what was going to happens._

"_Tsu-chan", that sickeningly sweet voice made Tsuna wanted to vomit, "That man had committed a crime and since he is one from -*d%Egl#*-, I thought it be better if you have the honors of punishing him." Tsuna didn't know if it was his hearing or the fact that the Lillarosa Boss deliberately not saying the word clearly, but Tsuna didn't catch what Vincent was saying._

_The word didn't seem as important when Vincent place something steel cold onto his small hand. The item was much larger than even his hand so Vincent grabbed his other hand to overlay the rest of the metal object. He didn't want to know the item's name nor did he want to see the shiny object. He was faintly aware of what the item might be as his mind slowly produces an image. The weight of the object getting heavier and heavier with each passing seconds as Tsuna divert his attention to watching the man from the potato sack in order to slow down the image from concreting. _

_The tan haired man was shouting something, but Tsuna's ears once again fail to hear anything as Sergio kick the man down. It didn't stop the man from shouting. Before Tsuna could even try to listen to the man's words, he felt his hand move by the guidance of Vincent. His little finger touched a small piece of metal and he felt the push against the piece._

_A loud BANG resounded against the room as Tsuna watch the man stopped his shouting. His movement stilled as a slow spread of red liquid surrounds his body. Tsuna looked down at his hands, unable to watch the bloody mess as the object from his mind finally solidified in his head and in reality. A gun, a gun was sitting just between his cold and shaking little hands._

_He didn't know what happened, but the next moment he looked up, he was in a bloodless white room. A chair was the only items this time as another man in black was chained to the furnisher._

_His hand was already shaking from the knowledge of what was to come and he wasn't wrong as he found himself firing the man on the chair. Again another white room and again another death._

_If Tsuna wasn't aware that this was reality, he might had believe that he was watching a rerun of the same show over and over again with only the slighted changes in each episodes._

_First was the running through the halls, followed by entering a white room, the touching of the icy weapon, and the single person he was force to watched as Sergio hit, threatened, tortured, or whatever terms you wanted to uses to make the other person became silence or scream so loud that no words could be deciphered from the sounds. Then a BANG was always heard echoing against the chilling white room as the red bloods spatter upon the white floor._

_The number of times he enters, the amount of blood he saw, the shouting he could never seems to hear; Tsuna couldn't remember. There were just too many._

_There was, however, one special episode that he did particularly remember. The running was not done alone and he had never reached the white room when Vincent and Sergio found him. He remembers being hits that time, more than once. His body was blue and black when he did found himself toss in the spotless white room. How the room remained so white when so much bloods had been spilled on it was beyond him. _

_Tsuna was struggling against his binding as he was dragged into the room. Standing opposite him was Nana, the woman who had been running with him just moment before. He could see her mouth moving, telling him to do something, most likely to run, but he had numbed his senses the moment he entered. All sounds eluded his ears; all thoughts escaped his mind, his visions hazed, and his feelings squashed. _

_But this time, his feelings couldn't entirely be suppressed as he watches the woman before him get kicked by Sergio. Tsuna wanted to shouts at the red demon to stop, but his voice unfortunately, still wouldn't work._

_His stomach twisted when his blinding got cuts and the all too familiar gun got slammed into his hand. Tsuna knew the outcome of the woman's fate._

_Vincent seems to read his mind as a smirk appeared. Using his larger hand he grabbed Tsuna's shaking one up from their position at the boy's side. Tsuna wanted so much to just use the gun within in hand to turns against the very man using it. Whether that was Vincent or himself, he couldn't be sure, but at the very least if one of them went down, Nana would live. _

_However, Tsuna was not strong enough to overpower the man in strength or in wits He felt the man tighten his hold on his hand as Vincent use his other hand to force the boy to face him. _

"_This is all your fault Tsu-chan. That woman is about to die because you tried to escapes. If only she weren't so foolish as to think that she could actually take you away from me, she wouldn't have to die."_

_Tsuna felt as if a bomb had went off taking away even more of his soul with it as the reason exploded in his face. He was already so gone, after months or had it been years since he made his first kill, that he didn't think he was even living anymore. Days after days he spend his time planning to escape and nights after nights making silly wishes upon the blinking stars and yet all he had done was prolong his sufferings. He really should have just killed himself, not that the thought never crossed his mind. In fact, Tsuna was sure that if asked, he would answer that he thought about that at least twice or more every single day. But in the end he could never do it._

_He always felt that if he waited, he was sure that someone would come. No he was sure someone was coming. If truth be told, many had already comes to saves him only to failed. Or maybe everything was just a coward's excuse created by his hazy mind._

"_I'll let her live…", Vincent whispered those hopeful words and Tsuna unwillingly force his clouded mind to clear, "…if you promise not to try anything foolish like this again." His body dropped to the ground just like all his hopes._

"_I'll stop" Tsuna croaked, "I'll stop…I'll stop…", he really hated the sound of his voice, his mouth that betrayed his heart, and the delighted man behind him each time he repeated those words._

"_Really?" Vincent voice had interrupted his mantra._

_He didn't bother to look up, "I'll stop running away", Tsuna lifelessly replies. As he was leaded back to the room he always starts from, the prison he was trapped in, Tsuna couldn't help but heard Sergio's serene voice talking to Nana._

"_Great job…" _

_He felt the final light in his heart faded with the words as Vincent pushed him further out the door. Did Nana betray him? Was everything that happen just an act? _

_The door to the blue room opened and Tsuna was dragged inside. To an outsider, the room was nothing but a simple bedroom. To Tsuna it was a place he could never escape from, a prison. _

_Tsuna was pulled toward the bed at the center of the room. Winching in pain despite the feathery softness of the mattress he was thrown on, he was instantly pinned beneath Vincent's bigger and stronger hands._

_His eyes shut closed the moment those silk-like lips landed on his neck. The hot breath made him choke on the moan that tried to escapes his throat. Vincent was a little disappointed at boy's reaction. He moves upward, toward the face and placing the kiss upon the brunet's mouth._

_The shaking boy lips tighten their defense against his entrance as he wetted the dried gate protecting the brunet with his damped tongue. Vin didn't push his way in when Tsuna only lock himself tighter. After all, he had all the time in the world to break the boy in._

_Tsuna shivered at the smile on the older man's face. The second he felt his hand became free, Tsuna struggles to pry his other hand out as well only to have it pinned once again under those larger hands. He curses his own small figure as he heard the sound of his clothes rusting against his skin. _

_Again, he wanted to scream. Not a sound came out when his mouth was once again attacked. This time the invasion easily enters his territory due to his surprised and he felt something slip into his throat. Tears escaped his honey-orbs as he choked down the item in order to allow the much needed air to reach his lung once Vincent pulled back._

_He coughed a few times, but his mind was soon overwhelmed by the provocation of his body's wants. He felt his blood rushing through his body at an unstoppable rate, his heart beating faster than he thought possible, as his eyes flutter shut against the pain he felt. Vincent ignored those reactions as he reached a heated hand deeper in._

_**-WARNING END-**_

_Tsuna felt the very last spark of hope he had got blown out. His mind totally crushed into millions of bits as Vincent held down his shaking body. _How was it that human can be so cruel?_ Tsuna cried at his weakness at not being strong enough to escaped his fate. He wish there someone badly for someone-anyone to come and save him from the reality he was forced to suffer through. _

"I'll protect you Tsuna_", the voice was calming and strong, very unlike Vincent own melodic tone. Looking around the room to see where the voice had come from, Tsuna could only see through his watery eyes the blue walls, the few necessary furnishings and the bed below his frame. No one else was in the room beside him and the man attacking him. For a moment he believed that he have gone crazy or maybe it was whatever drugs Vincent had force into his system, but something was telling him that neither were the correct answer._

"I won't let him hurt you._" It was strange, but Tsuna trusted this bodiless voice. Maybe since it didn't have a body to start with, the voice couldn't hurt him, either by forcing him to kill nor could the voice spill any red bloods from a body that didn't exist. He only wishes that the voice could really protect him as he felt his body twitched against the man's touches._

"I'll protect you no matter what'll happen."_ Tsuna felt himself smoothed to sleep from the calming words like being wrapped by an invisible blanket on a cold winter night. He really felt warmed and not the heated feeling his body was force to experience as his blurry views drooped into darkness._

"WAKE UP"

The voice was loud, but strangely calmed and even, almost like a monotone robot on high volume.

"Wake up", the robot repeated, softer than the first, but still as calmly and smoothly as Tsuna's struggle with his eyelids.

"Your friends are waiting."

Friends? What's friends could the robot be talking about? Tsuna had always been alone. He was always by himself, locked in a lifeless room.

"Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun are waiting for you."

_Gokudera? Yamamoto?_ Those names did sound familiar. But Tsuna was sure he never heard them before.

"The two of them are waiting for you to returns."

Tsuna heart thumped excitingly, his eyes really want to open now. He wants to see the faces of the two people that were waiting for him.

"Wake up", the voice sounds happy through the monotone of his words. Tsuna could practically see the smile on the figureless voice's face, "They will surely protect you from him."

Tsuna became even more determined to know the faces of those waiting for him as his heavy eyelids shift slightly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, what did you guys think? Not too m-rated right? I sure hope it within T-rated, so tell me what those of you who actually read the whole chapter think. I appreciate any and all comments, <strong>**criticisms and even complains on a overused idea for my tortures. Thanks for reading!**


	12. Price of a Wish

**Chapter 12: Price of a Wish**

Tsuna awoke to the setting sun and the darkness of the room. As his mind struggled to remember what had happen, he sensed movements from nearby. He flinched when the light turned on and blinded him.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" the voice had sound familiar. He was sure that it was a voice he only recently learned, but it was a familiar voice nonetheless. Lazy and carefree…Trident Shamal!

Tsuna opened his eyes quickly to confirm his guess and saw the doctor walking towards him.

"Don't worry" Shamal noticed Tsuna backing away as he neared, "I'm only going to check to see if all the drug had been countered." he explained.

"Drug?" Tsuna didn't remember drinking or eating anything that tasted funny nor did he remember drinking any medication.

Shamal pointed at his wrist where Yamamoto had so carefully wrapped up for him, "The bullet was coated with a knock-out drug that causes hallucinations. I just happen to be watching the scene upstairs when you were fighting it out."

Tsuna's eyes widen. How could he not notice another presence? Especially the presence of another mafioso?

"Now let me check you" Shamal ordered, not bothering to explain anything more to Tsuna.

He growled when Tsuna continued to flinch away from him, "You know you should be grateful that I'm willing to take care of you! Normally, I don't treat boys or men!"

"T-then why?"

Shamal wanted to bite. _Why? Because you're the fucking Decimo of Vongola and I was ordered to take care of your lousy wellbeing!_ Or at least that is what he wished to say, "Vongola Decimo is currently under my charge."

"I've already told you guys that I'm not going to be the Decimo!" Tsuna screamed.

"Fine" Shamal turned and headed back towards his desk, "I don't want to treat a male patient anyway." _Beside, seeing how active he was acting, he should be all right._

Tsuna relaxed when Shamal didn't make any move to close in on him, "Trident Shamal…about Nono…can you contact him for me?"

Shamal was reminded of the reason the brunet had approached him in the first place and the message he had received from the Ninth concerning the boy. "That's right. Nono wanted me to tell you that he won't be helping you with Vincent. The Lillarosa Famiglia's history is just as old as the Vongola's, and it would be against the code for the Vongola to just attack the Lillarosa without a reason. Vongola needs a _strong reason_ to be able to attack the Lillarosa."

Tsuna looked dejected, not noticing the emphasis on the words 'strong reason' nor the straight stare directed at him.

"School is already over a while ago, so head home. Hayato had already taken your stuff home."

Tsuna didn't waste another second as he pushed himself off the bed and walked towards the door. But before he could grab the handle, Shamal had stopped him.

"Oh yeah. Reborn had said that if something were to happen to him, I should remind you that you still need to open the letter from Nono."

Tsuna blinked at the doctor. Reborn had asked him to tell Tsuna to open the letter? Why was the letter so important? Sure the baby hitman had reminded him to open it every day, but was it that important? If so, why did the Ninth even sealed the letter with the dying will flame in the first place?

Tsuna rushed home nonstop after that. He knows why the letter was sealed. The content was too important to fall into the hand of another, but how was he supposed to open it? He had absolutely no idea how to open a letter sealed by a dying will flame!

"Tsuna-san!" Haru's peppy voice was the first thing to greet him when the door to his apartment opened with a slam.

Gokudera popped out of his room with dynamites in hand at the sounds only to drop them second later, "Juudaime!" he sounded happy and relieved.

Tsuna ignored the two as he marched his way toward his own room. For a moment, Gokudera wonder if he was actually the look-a-like from this morning, but even the look-a-like was his boss; he was sure of that no matter how different Tsuna had acted during that period of time.

The silver haired Italian followed after the brunet into his room and watched as his boss raid the drawer. Before he could even offer to help with the search, the brunet had brushed pass him with an envelope in hand.

Tsuna walked into the lounge and landed his sight on the nervous Fuuta while ignoring Lambo's greeting of "Dame-Tsuna is back."

"Fuuta I need you to rank the best way to open a letter sealed with the dying will flame."

Gokudera looked surprised as he took another look at the envelope in Tsuna's hand. It was indeed the letter Reborn was send to deliver. But ever since he had received it, Tsuna had avoided opening the letter. What had caused his boss to suddenly turn a 180?

"I need to know the content of the letter!" Tsuna was panicking as he watched Fuuta looking confusingly at him.

"Tsuna-nii…isn't the only way to open a dying will letter to use your own dying will flame?" Fuuta asked, not understanding how Tsuna didn't already know since he was the current heir candidate to Vongola's throne.

Almost as if something within his mind had snapped into place Tsuna stared at the letter in his hand in shock.

"I-is…Is there really no other way to open this letter?" Tsuna asked, refusing to accept the shaking of Fuuta's head.

Gokudera couldn't help but worry as he watched his boss staring at the flaming letter on the kotatsu. Tsuna had been staring at the letter since he had talked with Fuuta, even skipping dinner. It was now around midnight, the only light on was the kitchen lighting where Tsuna's cold dinner was still waiting for him.

In the dim room, Gokudera could see that his boss was thinking; he couldn't help but selfishly wish that his boss would confine in him about his worries.

Gokudera had secretly prided himself on being able to read his boss like a book, but lately, he felt lost and confused around the brunet. He knew that everyone had their own secrets they wouldn't want another soul to know about, but Gokudera couldn't help wanting to learn everything to know about the one person he was willing to give his life for.

"Gokudera-kun," the sound of his name from Tsuna made him snapped into attention. Tsuna wasn't really looking at him, but he was sure that the brunet had called his name.

"Y-yes Juudaime?"

"What do you know of my past? Did Reborn tell you that I was a prisoner for almost four whole years? At that place, I had to killed so many people…" Tsuna was now watching him, but he remained impassionate as Reborn had ordered him to act when Tsuna started talking about his past. In truth, he wanted to flinch away and cover his eyes and ears, but the silver haired bomber stood his ground.

He had heard it all from Reborn before on the night he first met Tsuna. Reborn had even told him that Tsuna had been made to kill the very people send to rescued him. How the man who had captured him had the boy hurt badly mentally and physically. How even after Reborn had rescued him, Tsuna had to work the job of a hitman in order to grow stronger and escape his past, even about the numerous times Tsuna had tried to kill himself when he thought the Arcobaleno wasn't watching.

"…Then I met the Kyuudaime. The Ninth wanted me to be his successor." Gokudera had to take a double-take to make sure that he had heard it correctly. Tsuna had already been made the Nono's heir a year before? Then what was the reason for his arrival? Reborn didn't tell him about this part.

"I turned the offer down," Tsuna explained, still firmly staring at the letter before him, "After being a freelance hitman for over a year, I didn't want to continue on the path. But the Ninth was getting old and Reborn just happened to introduced us. I asked him for some time only to have run away the very next day. Now that he had contacted me again, I can already pretty much guess the content of his letter." Tsuna sighed.

He was kind of hoping Gokudera had stopped to question him during his long ramble, but his silver haired friend just didn't get the hint and had been quietly listening to him the whole time. _Wait. Silently listening? Could he have already fallen asleep?_ Tsuna decided to take a peek only to widen his eyes at the sight before him.

Gokudera was looking at him with tears falling from those green orbs. _Why is Gokudera crying?_ Tsuna's mind was screaming at him for making his friend cried.

"I-I'm so sorry Gokudera-kun. I'm sorry..I'm sor-" Gokudera wouldn't let the brunet say another word as he walked up to hug the boy. He was sad about his boss' terrible childhood, but the reason for his tears came from the happiness that he secretly held on the boy's refusal to the Nono's offer. If Tsuna had taken that offer one year prior, then they wouldn't have met and he couldn't image not being able to meet the brunet.

Tsuna was at a lost. His first thought was to push the boy away, but strangely, his body did just the opposite as his arms found itself wrapped around the taller teen. Tears from his own eyes followed the same fate as Gokudera's as they trailed downward.

He made small notes to apologize to the bomber for soaking his shirt later, but for now he only wanted to spill all the sorrow out of his jaded heart. He never felt so at peace before. Could it have been the fact that he finally told someone about his past that allowed him this sense of peace? Or was he crying because he was feeling pathetic for admitting his shameful past?

After what felt like the whole night, "Are you better now?" Gokudera's hoarse voice asked him. The Italian had only just finished crying himself, but since Tsuna had seemed calmed down, he determined that the brunet should head for bed. It was getting late, but before Gokudera had the chance, Tsuna interrupted.

"Thank you Gokudera-kun…" Tsuna snuffed, "for hearing me ranted about my past." Tsuna returned to face the letter, "I think…with you being my right-hand man I'll be able to face them."

Gokudera could claim that he was the happiest man on earth at that moment and no one would doubt him. Tsuna would probably laugh at the bomber if he was to see the huge smile and light of devotion on his friend's face. It was shining so brightly that it could say to be the human equivalent of the sun. Too bad Tsuna's attention was on the dim lighting of the dying will flame sealing the letter.

Gokudera's light dimmed as time passed and still Tsuna didn't seem to see him. The boy was so focused on the envelope before him that if an assassin had walked through the door and kill him, he probably wouldn't have even realized that he died. His ghost would remain watching the flicking flame.

"Gokudera-kun," The Italian was surprised that his boss was even aware that he was still there, "I'm going to open this letter…"

Tsuna was silence for a moment and Gokudera got up from his kneeing position thinking that perhaps his boss wished to be alone, when the brunet spoke again, "Can you stay by my side, Gokudera-kun?"

He knelt back down besides his boss, putting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder to show that he was not leaving.

Tsuna jumped a little, but made no move to push the hand away before extending his own to reach for the letter.

The dying will flame is a special type of flame that existed within every living being, but there are certain conditions for the flame to appear in reality.

A very simple way is to have a strong and powerful medium, but Tsuna had none. Another was to use a very special bullet developed by some ancient old men, again Tsuna had none. Then there was a specially produced pills rumored to be able to increase one's flame to the point of flaring out of their body; Tsuna didn't like the sound of the last method for fear of pains. The last and final way for a dying will flame to appear according to Reborn was a strong resolution.

He had his doubts, but as he had told Gokudera; as long as his friends were behind him, he would accept the message from the Ninth. So with shaking hands, but a strong determination, and a little prayer for success, Tsuna ignited his dying will flame for the first time.

He was surprised or should he say, confused? Tsuna looked around the sudden darkness he found himself in. Gokudera had disappeared and so was the letter as well as everything that made his living area.

"Are you really ready for this?" the sudden familiar voice made him search for the source, but it was fruitless in the dark…or so he thought.

It was the sound of footsteps that first alerted him to the direction the sound was coming from. A pair of familiar brown and white sneakers was the first to take shape before the blue jeans attached to them. Then the rest of the boy's body appeared in a light green hoodie. The face was what made Tsuna eyes widen as the person standing before him was himself or a person very similar to him.

Tsuna couldn't decide which answer was the correct one, seeing as the teen was the same height, he was sure there couldn't be another person as short as him in his group. The same messy brown hair, the same face, mouth, nose, eyes…maybe not the eyes; the eyes of his look-a-like were much sharper than his own, more wise, and the color could be said to be a brighter shade of brown…a fiery orange glow that Tsuna couldn't help envied.

"You don't have any reason to be jealous." The teen chuckled, "What you see in me is what others' see in you."

Tsuna didn't understand, but he was sure the teen was commenting him so his face became red. For reason unknown, Tsuna felt he could trust this boy the moment he saw him. Perhaps it was his looks or maybe his voice which strangely remind Tsuna of the overconfident sadist baby of a hitman.

"Overconfident? Sadist?" Tsuna's look-a-like asked in wonder, "I supposed you should blame that on the fact that you respect the baby so much."

His heart felt as if it was jumping out of his chest. How did his double know his deepest secret?

"You can't hide anything from me, Tsuna." A sly grin appears upon his face that Tsuna couldn't help but think that it made him look deviant. Out of his fear, he took a step backward.

His double sighed in disappointment of Tsuna's sudden action, "I don't think you are ready to touch the dying will flame as of yet."

Tsuna pounce on his double in an instance afraid that the teen would disappear on him, "Tell me everything you know about the dying will flame!" Tsuna ordered as he grabbed the sweater for more effect.

"Are you really ready?" he repeated the first question Tsuna had heard from him, "Can you take up the responsibilities of being Vongola Decimo? The thousands and millions of lives under the Vongola's command? The countless lives that you will take? Are you ready to taint our hands again?"

Tsuna released his hold on the teen when the last question made its way to his brain. _Our?_ he looked closer at the brunet before him, "Who are you?"

"Vuoto" was the simple answer that Tsuna was given before he backed away shaking his head in negation.

"Even if you don't want to admit it, you created me," his double continued, "From the time you first heard my voice to the time you trained under Reborn, I was always right there. I am you."

"H-h-how?" Tsuna managed to struggle the single word out of his throat, still staring at his double in disbelieve.

"How?" Vuoto cupped his chin in a thinking position as he gave Tsuna a thoughtful look. "I guess you could call me a split personality of you or something?" he looked just as confused on the matter as Tsuna. He stood silent to allow Tsuna's mind the time to absorb the information while Vuoto just took the time to exam his other self.

The boy was weak and pathetic. It was as simple as that and nothing more.

"Done?" it was really more of a statement than the question it had appeared to be after the few minutes of silence and when he sensed that Tsuna had accepted his presence. After all, if Tsuna didn't want to accept him, Vuoto wouldn't exist…couldn't exist.

"Y-you asked me before about if I was ready…" Tsuna started, now that his mind had finally adjusted to Vuoto's existence, "I will tell you that my answer is that I'm still not sure—but! But I know that I want the power Vongola has to offer! I want to rescue Reborn!"

Vuoto sighed at the answer he knew that was coming. Giving Tsuna a smile Vuoto patted the boy on the head, "Then I'll lend you the flame…"

Tsuna felt warm the moment Vuoto had touched his head. He could feel the heat flowing throughout his body and Vuoto's presence seemed to grow stronger within him as the teen's image before him disappeared into thin air.

"Juudaime?" Gokudera's worried voice made Tsuna realized that he was back and seeing that the bomber wasn't out of control as of yet, Tsuna had to wonder how long it had been since he last saw the boy. It had felt like twenty to thirty minutes at least, but Gokudera looked as if he had only been zoning out for a few seconds.

A sudden flicker of lights caused Tsuna to look down at his hands. It was a pretty orange flame, he noted before watching the lights dance upon his hands. Tsuna could hear Gokudera's gasp of surprise tinted with a bit of worry, but Vuoto's monotone voice pushed his thoughts aside when his double told him to open the letter.

Doing as told, Tsuna touched the fiery seal with his flaming hand. The moment the two sources of fires touched, they both disappeared as did Vuoto's warm presence. He couldn't help but feel a bit lonely, but he knew that Vuoto was still within him…perhaps deep within a corner of his mind.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera's excited cry at the open letter allowed him to temporary forget his other presence for the moment as he looked over the letter:

_Tsunayoshi,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health. As you have already known, my time is limited and I fear that I can no longer wait. Seeing as you have opened this letter, I believe that you have a strong wish you would like fulfilled. This letter is a trade for your wish, Tsunayoshi. Do take your time to think this thoroughly for I am sure you are aware of my request._

_The job as I am sure you are aware is to take over my role as the next Don of Vongola and in doing so I am sure whatever your wish is, will be granted by all of Vongola's power._

_You might hate me for mentioning this as it could be seen as me pushing you into become Vongola's new boss, but I have determined that it would be best that you are informed. The Lillarosa had once more begun to take actions. Reports of their thieving ways lead me to believe that they are currently looking for some sort of weapon. Please be careful since you have a history with this Famiglia._

_Tsunayoshi when you have decided to take upon my request, please head to Namimori Central Bank and ask for Safety Deposit Box 009. Stay well Tsunayoshi and good luck on the test to becoming Vongola Decimo, if you so wished._

_Timoteo_

_Vongola Nono_

Tsuna didn't know how to handle the letter. He thought that he was prepared when he made the decision to open the letter, but finding out that the Ninth had been willing to allow him to decline the position of Vongola Decimo, Tsuna didn't know what to do. He doesn't have to become Vongola Decimo…but what will happen to Reborn if he declined? What will happen to Vongola, itself? What was Vincent doing collecting weapons?

He didn't want to have anything to do with the said man, but seeing as the man had even went to the extent of using illusion to come to his school. Tsuna knew that he couldn't escape facing him. Especially when the man was still holding Reborn captured.

What should he do? Why did the Ninth have to be so kind to him? Why that foolish old man couldn't had made it easy for him and just ordered him to become Vongola's next boss?

The sudden ringing of the house phone made Tsuna turn towards the kitchen where a tan phone hung against the wall just below their blue sixteen inches clock reading 3:10. He didn't even know that it had gotten so late.

_Who is calling at this time at night?_ Tsuna wondered as he watched Gokudera grumpily stroll over towards the phone.

The bomber spoke a few words to whoever was on the other side, suddenly his face turned a bit pale as he shouted a few more words before hanging up the phone all together. Gokudera made his way back to Tsuna before reporting the message.

"It was Sasagawa. She called to ask if we could keep her company at the hospital since her brother got injured by a burglar's entry into their house. Her parents seemed to be on vacation and she couldn't contact her friend, Kurokawa."

Tsuna couldn't speak. Onii-san had been hurt? No…he was send to a hospital! The overly strong boxing club captain was send to the hospital by some burglar? Tsuna got a very twisted feeling in his gut as he pushed himself off the floor. Stumbling a little from his long kneeing position as Gokudera helped him stand.

"I'll write a message for the girl, so take the time to wash up and eat something, Juudaime." Gokudera was worried. In truth, he didn't want to tell his boss anything that Sasagawa girl had said, but he also knew that his boss would be very mad if he didn't report the girl's message. Tsuna, after all, cares very much for the lawn head boxer and the orange hair girl, even if his boss didn't quite acknowledge the fact yet.

He took his time writing the letter to their housemates to allow Tsuna time to eat up the cold dinner, but his boss stopped eating after the third bite. Gokudera wanted to scold him and force the brunet to eat a little more, but he knew it was not the time or the situation to go yapping at his boss' eating habit.

Tsuna had a long and tiring day today. First was with that weirdo transfer student calling him up to the roof to fight. Then the brunet was confessed to by the idiot baseball-freak. Although that was actually Gokudera's version as he refused to believe that his beloved boss would be the one to confess first. After that, Shamal had to come and make his boss faint and send him back to class all weird-like.

Tsuna missed lunch since he had fainted again because of that lousy doctor's treatment. It didn't get better after his boss came rushing home to pull out that letter from Nono which made him forget to eat dinner and sleep. He was glad that today was Sunday, meaning there was at least no school, so his boss could still get the rest he needed.

Gokudera didn't even realize when he and his boss had gotten to the hospital during his evaluation of the last day as Tsuna headed to the single night shift nurse to ask for the location of Sasagawa.

Once they were before the Emergency room where they found a crying Kyoko, Tsuna was the first to approach the girl asking for the condition.

"I-I-I'm s-still not sure," Kyoko was sobbing onto Tsuna shoulder as the brunet patted her back to smooth her.

"Onii-san will be alright, Kyoko-san," Tsuna regretted the words the moment they came out since he really didn't know if that was going to be true or not, but Tsuna so very hoped that the silver head boxer was going to survive.

"What exactly happened?" Gokudera asked once the girl had calmed herself and continued to wait for the ER's door to open.

Kyoko looked as if she was about to cry again, but she strongly held her tears in, "I was sleeping, when a sudden crash woke me up. A man was standing before my bed so I screamed…" the tears Kyoko held back gushed from her as she covered her face in her hands. "O-onii-san c-came in and he was s-sh-shot by th-that man before he escaped."

"Did you report the man to the police?" Tsuna asked her worriedly.

"Yes. I told them that the man, although I couldn't see his face when he was struggling with onii-san, I manage to see a tattoo of a purple rose."

Tsuna heart seemed to have stopped as Vuoto's presence cried out in anger. Tsuna knew the reason why when he saw bits of Vuoto's memories from yesterday. Vuoto had taken over his body while he was out and had flirted with Kyoko while that _man_ was watching. He hated himself for being the cause of Kyoko and onii-san being hurt, but the hate couldn't even compare to his hate toward Vincent Contiello.

A purple rose is in the end the family crest of the Lillarosa Famiglia. No other Family or person could get that tattoo without their permission first. Anyone without permission outside the Famiglia was killed on sight.

The sound of the double door sliding open made Tsuna turn to see the doctors and nurses exit the room as the red light of the ER shut off.

"Which one of you is Sasagawa-san's family?" one of the older male doctor stopped before them.

"I am! Is onii-san alright?" Kyoko asked worriedly.

"Everything's fine." the doctor gave her a reassuring smile, "We've already removed the bullet and your brother is a healthy boy, so he should recover quickly."

Kyoko sighed in relief, surprised a bit that she was holding her breath, and then she thanks the doctor as he left for another job. As two nurses pushed the gurney on which Ryohei was on out the room, Kyoko followed after her brother.

Tsuna could only watch as the boxer disappeared around a corner before falling onto one of the benches lining the wall.

Gokudera fell onto the seat next to him. He didn't say a word, just staying by the brunet's side as he hid his face into his hands.

Tsuna wasn't even sure how long he had sat there. Gokudera had occasionally got up to grab him a blanket, coffee and a sandwich from the hospital cafeteria, but he barely noticed any of it as his mind focused on the one person he wouldn't mind killing and his decision on the Ninth's request.

He hates the man and his only wish was for the man to die a cruel and terrifying death, but he didn't want to accept the position of Vongola Decimo. He was being selfish and he knew it, but why couldn't he just have the man die without becoming the Decimo? Why was the Ninth so insistent on him anyway? Couldn't he find another great hitman to become the Decimo?

"Juudaime?" Gokudera had returned once again, "Sasagawa said that it's alright now and that her brother had woken up. Let's go see them and then I'll take you home so you can rest…You didn't eat again." Gokudera frowned at the uneaten sandwich on the bench and the now cold cup of untouched coffee in the brunet's hands.

Tsuna unseeingly stood up as the blanket on his shoulder slid down to the seat. Gokudera went over to quickly fold it up while in the process wrapped up the cold sandwich. It was surprising how quick and efficient the bomber had done it considering that he was terrible at housework, too bad Tsuna didn't see it as he walked towards Sasagawa's room.

Kyoko was sitting on the single plastic chair by Onii-san's bed when Tsuna and Gokudera walked in. But before either of them could make their way over to the girl and the noisy patient, a cheerful greeting made them stop and turn back towards the entrance.

"Tsuna! Gokudera! Good morning!" Tsuna eyes widen at Yamamoto when he saw his baseball-loving friend being strolled into the room on a wheelchair.

"What happened to you?" Gokudera shouted only to get a scolding to keep the noise down from the nurse pushing the bandaged up Yamamoto into the room.

Once the jock was put into the bed besides Ryohei when the nurse determined that it was alright for the two friends to be by each other since the bed was empty, Yamamoto explained that he got admitted when some business men picked a fight with him.

"They were probably drunk from last night when they tripped me." Yamamoto smiled.

"Tripped?" Gokudera growled, "Seeing your injuries, I really doubt that a single tripping accident could get you broken bones."

Yamamoto just laughed it off before turning to face Tsuna who hadn't said a word since he had entered the room. Usually, the brunet would at least greet him no matter the situation, so it was strange.

"Tsuna, is there something you're worried about?" Yamamoto asked hoping to get the boy to talk.

He was sadly disappointed when Tsuna didn't even give him a verbal answer as the brunet just shook his head to ease him of his anxiety. Needless to say, it didn't work since Yamamoto small smile turns into a frown.

"Tsuna!" the sudden anger in the baseball jock's tone surprised Tsuna mind into a blank stage for a moment before Yamamoto's next words slip into his mind, "Did you even meant what you said yesterday?"

Yesterday? What did he say yesterday … or was it Vuoto when he took over? His intuition told him that Vuoto had nothing to do with Yamamoto's anger.

"Do you really consider us your friend?" Yamamoto solved the question for him as the teen watched his eyes shone in understanding yet, he couldn't bring himself to actually answers the jock.

"It's alright that you want to keep some secrets Tsuna, but friends are there to help you if you want them to listen and lend you their support. You don't have to carry the entire burden yourself." Yamamoto explained.

"That's extremely correct Sawada!" Ryohei added his own two cents, "Didn't we become brothers during the festival?" he got a couple of looks from the few other patients around the room for his loudness, "Even that little squirrel boy, octopus-head, and Yamamoto became your brothers that night."

Tsuna smiled at Ryohei for trying to quiet down, but the real reason was because both Yamamoto and Gokudera had agreed with the boxer.

"Tsuna-kun don't forget that I'm your friend too." Kyoko shyly added when Tsuna continued to remind silent.

"Thank you." his voice was coarse, but Tsuna wanted them to at least know how happy he was to know that they care so much for him. Tsuna looked around him to see his friends' faces as he came to a conclusion.

Reaching into his pocket to pull out a one thousand yen bill which he passes on to Kyoko, "Do you mind getting us some breakfast, Kyoko-san?" Tsuna asked her. When the girl looked at him in confusion he explains, "I would like to talk with the others."

Kyoko looked disappointed, but laughed when Tsuna stomach supported him by grumbling. "Okay, Tsuna-kun, but only if you call me Kyoko-_chan_ again." she blushed at her nerves.

Smiling and blushing himself, Tsuna nodded to the girl's request knowing that she wants him to consider her a friend as well even if he was keeping her out of the loop. "Kyoko-chan I'm sorry." She just shook her head in understanding before making her way out the room.

"Look like Tsuna had a crush." Yamamoto teased causing Tsuna to turn his blushing face towards the three males watching him.

"I-it's n-not like that!" Tsuna screamed before realizing that he was in a hospital, "A-Anyways, I wanted to apologize to you guys too." Tsuna explained watching his volume just in case he screamed again.

"Apologize?" Gokudera was the first to asked.

"You got attacked too didn't you, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna watched to make sure the boy didn't lie, "I heard from Haru last night…" Tsuna frowned when Gokudera looked as if he was about to say it wasn't a fight.

"That's wasn't your fault!" Gokudera decided to change his plan, "I get into fight everyday…"

"But those men were professional hitmen, weren't they?" Tsuna interrupted and before Gokudera could counter, he continued, "Hitmen from the Lillarosa Famiglia."

Gokudera eyes extend to an unbelievable length. How did his boss know?

"You can't hide anything about the Lillarosa Famiglia from m,e Gokudera-kun" Tsuna looked down as his bang shaded his amber orbs, "I was part of their Famiglia for four years."

"Weren't you part of the Todd family?" Yamamoto asked despite the hint of hesitation in his voice.

"Not family…" Tsuna answered, "but Famiglia as in a Mafia family…"

"Mafia!" Ryohei shouted drawing not a few eyes their way.

Gokudera quickly covered him by laughing it off as some television show as he slaped the boxer on the back … hard.

"Were you serious?" Yamamoto asked ignoring Gokudera as he gave Ryohei a lesson in being secretive.

Tsuna's depressed and silent answer was all he needed. "Tsuna, I-" Yamamoto was lost for words.

This wasn't just some joke or game, Tsuna was in the mafia. Although dense, Yamamoto had kind of suspected that Tsuna was related in something dangerous, but to hear it directly from the boy was hard to swallow, "I don't think I'll be abl-" he stopped seeing the brunet looked really hurt by his words.

Tsuna couldn't believe it. He knew there was a chance this would happen. His friends were normal everyday people while he had been tainted by blood ever since he could remember. It was only natural that Yamamoto wouldn't want to continue being friend with a killer.

"I don't think I'll be able to see you depress anymore Tsuna." Yamamoto's sudden change of mind cause Tsuna to look up into the face of the ever smiling jock. "I really meant what I just said." Yamamoto smile grew a little at the hopeful look within Tsuna round orbs, "I had thought that I couldn't be your friend anymore after you had told me that you're part of the mafia, but I realized something even more important to me just now."

"W-what is it?" Tsuna wanted to know what had cause Yamamoto to go from not wanting to be his friend to wanting to be his friend in the span of a few short seconds.

The jock gave himself some time to think before shrugging off the answer, "I think it would be better if I keep that a secret for now." Yamamoto could only smile at the reason he was willing to say by the brunet. Even if Tsuna is a member of the mafia, a killer, or a demon-he was sure that he could never leave the boy alone, for unlike him, Tsuna has an absolute sincere face that shows his every emotions. The boy was too honest and easy to read that he was sure that being in the mafia was not of the brunet's own choosing and so in order to protect the pureness he saw in the boy; he was willing to join the mafia if he had to.

Tsuna was moping, but Yamamoto was determined not to tell the boy his reason since he knew that the brunet would only blame himself. After all Tsuna was already blaming himself for knowing the reason why he and Sasagawa got hurt, "Why did you want to apologize to us, Tsuna?"

His single question brought Ryohei and Gokudera from their conversation as the three look in Tsuna's direction.

"That's right Juudaime. Even if you were with those second-rate Famiglia, you got nothing to do with them. You don't have to apologize!"

Tsuna's body started to tremble, his hand clench tightly, a tint of anger and guilt flashing within his eyes, "It is my fault…" Tsuna knew it was because his intuition wouldn't let him forget it, neither does that man. "This is all because I escaped."

Gokudera was flaring and everyone beside Tsuna could see it, the flaming deep red fire surrounding him as he held back the hand that so wanted to slap his beloved boss into some senses. Yamamoto landed a hand on the teen to cool him down. Looking over to thanks the jock, Gokudera turned back to the brunet right afterward.

"Juudaime, it was not your fault!" he sternly told the boy, "That man was in the wrong for keeping you as a prisoner!"

Yamamoto and Ryohei was shock speechless. Tsuna was kidnapped? When did that happened?

"That man was inane for kidnapping the heir of Vongola!"

Tsuna eyes were at its biggest yet as his mind absorbs Gokudera's words, "What are you talking about? Kidnapped? Vongola's heir?"

Gokudera looked shocked, "Juudaime you didn't know? Didn't Reborn-san tell you?" The Italian was unaware how his every word was a stab at Tsuna's heart. Vongola's heir? Was that the reason the Ninth had been so insistent on having him become the boss? Why didn't Reborn tell him? And what did Gokudera mean when he said kidnapped? Was he kidnapped?

Tsuna didn't remember his childhood. He knows that he was a prisoner of the Lillarosa for as long as he could remember...no, for about four years, but now that he thought about it, what about before he was six year old? The only family he could recall had been that maid of the Lillarosa, Nana. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall anything before waking up in that blue room of the Lillarosa mansion. Everything was a blank. What was going on?

"Tsuna are you alright?" Yamamoto asked, but Tsuna just gave him a nod that he recognized was to ask him to stop asking.

"I'm going to the restroom…" Tsuna said before leaving the three males to watch him dejectedly exited the room.

Gokudera wanted to follow, but Ryohei's strong hold on his arm and the shaking of the boxer's head told him what he already known. His boss wanted some time alone. So he allowed the boxer to keep the hold, knowing that if the older male was to let go he would rush to Tsuna's side in an instance. He decided to explain to the two so they at least understood Tsuna's situation a little better since he had the time.

"…But how did Juudaime know that it was the Lillarosa who were the one to attacked us?" Gokudera wondered after sharing what he had known about Tsuna's from Reborn. It was weird talking about his boss without his permission, but the information he was telling them weren't really all that secretive. Everyone in the mafia already known since Tsuna was a student of Reborn. The fact that Reborn had rescued him from the Lillarosa Famiglia was widely known due to how difficult the mission was, even for Reborn. Then rumors of Tsuna leaving the mafia after just a year traveled through every corner of the underworld since once you're in the mafia it was for life, but Tsuna had manage to leave with the protection of the Vongola Famiglia supporting his decision. It was the biggest scandal of the year for the Maifa world!

Tsuna was wandering the halls of Namimori hospital. He was confused, why couldn't he remember anything about his past? He felt Vuoto presence sighing at the back of his mind as if he knew something, but Tsuna realized that he couldn't communicated with his other half. How's he able to talk with that guy before, but not understand him now was beyond him. There were so many things he was sure Vuoto would be able to answer, like why couldn't he remember about his childhood? Should he accept the Ninth's offer? How should he go about to defeat Vincent? Does being Vongola Decimo give him the power to defeat Vincent?

So lost in his thoughts, Tsuna didn't notice when he bumped into a hard well-toned chest. Holding his offensive face, Tsuna apologized to the man or at least he deducted it was a man from the button up white shirt the person was wearing and the tall height.

"Herbivore." the single word was all Tsuna needed to know who he had bumped into as he slowly dragged his head up to see the scary disciplinary leader of his school.

"H-Hibari!" Tsuna squealed at the sight of his sempai. The older teen growled at the sound of his name, but decided to just ignore the brunet in favor of getting out of the stuffy hospital. Tsuna couldn't help but see Hibari's arm was wrapped in a bandage as the teen brushed him aside.

Fears. Fears and stresses were what lead Tsuna into believing the most outrageous conclusion his mind could come up with. _Vincent had even gone as far as hurting Hibari!_ Sure it was just a small scratch from the look on the prefect's arm, but to even get the disciplinary leader to bleed was an almost close to impossible crime. Tsuna made a quick 180 back to his friends when he came to a conclusion to one of his previous questions. He was going to use all of Vongola's powers to fully crush Vincent! Even if he had to give up his own freedom or get blood on his hands in the process, he was going to kill that man if it was the last thing he do!

Meanwhile, outside the hospital Hibari walked toward the tree on which Hibird had perched on waiting for him. Instead of greeting the bird, however, the Japanese man bended down to reach the little brown-white wirehair cat from the high cardboard box sitting under the tree.

"Now for your punishment for daring to scratch me after trying to eat what belongs to me. I'll bite you to death!" Hibari brought his favorite tonfa up to the tiny cat's neck as the small creature struggled to escape the prefect's hold.

He stopped, when Tsuna's face overlapped the kitten in his hand and for a moment he found himself chuckling as he dropped the iron weapon to his side. Hibird flew down on his shoulder humming the sound to the Namimori's anthem when the bird sensed the lack of bloodlust from his master.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First off, thank you for reading. Also a special thanks to Nekokratik for her editing. I'll be taking a short break from writing this story since I'm going to be quite busy, but I promise to continue with this ASAP. Thank you for your understanding!<strong>


	13. Rings and Roles

Chapter 13: Rings and Roles

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna sudden appearance into the hospital room drew no less than the whole room's attention as some growls and complains could be heard from the other residents.

"I'll be going to Namimori Central Bank so meet me back home!" Tsuna practically yelled to the boy across the room, ignoring the other patients around him.

"You'll going to the bank?" Gokudera asked knowing that this meant that his boss was taking up on the Ninth's request. Although, he was selfishly happy that Tsuna had accepted the position of the Tenth, he also knew how much Tsuna hated the role. So with mix feelings on wanting to stop Tsuna from leaving, Gokudera just stood like a broken robot.

"Mind if I come along?" Yamamoto's cheerful voice sounded behind him stopping where Gokudera had failed.

As if his failure was his battery pack, Gokudera suddenly shouted out "I'm coming too!" Gokudera Hayato would never allow Yamamoto Takashi to outdo him when it come to being his boss's right hand.

Ryohei wanted to pipe in as well, but he was stopped by the sudden appearance of his sister entering the room with their breakfast.

"Kyoko-chan!" Tsuna had almost forgotten that he had asked her to buy his breakfast. Feeling guilty for his impulsive decision, he quickly retreats out the room in fear of farther upsetting the girl. "I'm sorry, but I have to go without breakfast." He shouted after a couple of steps toward the elevator. Yamamoto and Gokudera followed after him.

* * *

><p>Isuzu Mai deemed her life to be very boring and average. At the age of 23, she is already out of college and working at the ever dreary job of cashing out checks, collecting deposits, endless calculation and handling dirty looking bills and coins. That's right, her job is that of the very boring bank teller where day in and day out she would repeat the same process over and over. She should have stayed in school; at least then she got to hang out with her friends who were wise enough and spoiled enough to go to college.<p>

"Next please!" a smile plastered to her face in order to greet her next client. Three teenage boys walked up to her booth and she couldn't help but held a sting of hate to the spoiled and the riches.

"How can I help you?" she asked waiting patiently for a check to be deposited or cashed. She really doubted that three kids would have any other reason to be in a bank.

"Hmm…" the shortest of the three was the first to speak, thought it seemed as if he didn't know how to asks whatever he wanted, "I…Can you lead me to the deposit box 009?"

Mai had to raise an eyebrow at the brunet. Deposit box? "Can I see your ID?" she decided that she didn't have the right to question the boy, so turning her attention back to the monitor on her desk, she began typing in words and numbers that could lead her to check out his approval.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." the moment she typed in the name from the small pictured card, Mai learned to never forget it when her computer flashed a '_higher authorization needed_' sign. Suspicion and excitement were the first two feelings Mai had going in her head; suspicion for having to access such a high level security and excitement from the break that was her boring life. She told the three boys to wait as she went to grab her superior.

Sarutaro Akira was surprised when his most reliable employee came up to him with a request to open the high security safety box 009. He was surprised, but not in the way normal bank employee should feel. After all Sarutaro was anything but a normal bank employee. He was an underling of the Vongola Famiglia and his surprise came from not having previous contact with his boss since he was put into this position almost a year ago.

Akira followed the woman back to the booth and upon meeting the boys, he decided to make a quick phone call to the Family for information.

Mai look annoyed at Sarutaro as she apologized to the three boys for the wait. Sarutaro was acting a bit weird and unlike his regular self since she had told him about the box, but proper etiquette required them to make their patron comfortable and none of the three boys were looking comfortable.

"You should at least get Juudaime a room!" Gokudera shouted at her. She glared at the silver-hair boy for his rudeness. The tallest of the three teen cheered her up when he chuckle at his friend impatient.

"Sawada-dono, please follow me." Sarutaro called once he finished the call. Stepping out of the booth he led the three boys towards the door leading to the inner corridor of their bank. Mai quickly followed after them. She was not going to miss something so exciting or at least she hoped it was worth remembering.

Sarutaro showed the boys into a small conference room that she noticed passing by everyday, but have never entered. Since there was only a table and a single chair inside, there was a small fight from the three over who get the seat. However, it was not the kind of fight that Mai would have expected with three teenagers. The silver head boy yelled at the jock who was about to sit for stealing the seat from 'Juudaime'. Juudaime instead calmed his noisy friend before allowing the tall boy to take his seat.

Mai wondered at the title the brunet was given as she was guided by Sarutaro out the room and deeper into the building where she was never allowed to pass.

"Mai, this will be your first experience with handling a VIP client correct?" Sarutaro was trying to make small talk as they walked down the hall.

"Y-Yes." she replied simply to continue the conversation.

He gave her a nod, before starting on a long lecture about what to do, how to take care of their patrons, the proper procedure she needs to go through, and many,_many_ more things that she was sure she wouldn't remember as the list only stopped when they finally reached the giant locked safe.

Here, Sarutaro explained that it was necessary to have a high position in their job to enter as he type in a code before placing his hand on the bio-scan reader. "You will probably have a few more years to go before your promotion reaches this stage, so you'll still have the time to learn the rope." he explained before having her follow him over the iron door. Inside was another corridor similar to the one they had just come from. It was like that English story she once read as a kid, 'Through the Looking-Glass', where the girl Alice had enter a mirroring world of chaos.

Luckily for Mai, she had a guide; Sarutaro, even if he was a little long-winded as he pointed out different doors and where they lead. They stopped at a room label SDB, Safety Deposit Boxes- _what a no-brainer_. She thought as Sarutaro opened the door with another code and scan swipe. Inside was like a library made out of lockers. Rows after rows of different size lockers and Sarutaro had to lead her to the very back where number 001 to 010 was located. These were bigger than those she had witnessed neared the entrance and seem more secured with yet another code pad and key hole. Mai noticed a slight different between lockers 001 to 005 from the locker Sarutaro was opening.

"Akira-san, why are their two keyholes in those locker?"

Sarutaro looked over to his side to follow her finger before explaining once again in that long boring lecture tone he was using. In the end, she only understood that it was an even higher security box than those of 006 to 010 where the owners held the other key themselves.

"Hold on to this and let's go." Sarutaro ordered throwing a metal key into her outstretch hand. She noticed that he was carrying a black leather case in his hand which was chained to his waist; the key he had given her must be for the purpose of unlocking the handcuff. She was sure that he must had told her the reason why during that long lecture he had only recently gave her, but she couldn't remember and she was just too afraid to ask again. It will just be more research later, but she'll deal with it as she walked with him back to their guests.

* * *

><p>It was not the first time nor will it be the last time Tsuna walked toward the door thinking about leaving. What had he been thinking when he decided to rush to the bank? He still didn't want to be Vongola Decimo. Sure he was angry at Vincent for hurting his friends, but they were still alive. As long as he continued avoiding the man, it'd be fine right? He had been too stressed to think clearly then, but now that he was in a silence room where the only noises had been from Gokudera and Yamamoto talking or at least one was talking while the other was yelling, the courage and determination of him defeating Vincent was wearing off.<p>

He reached for the door knob once again, but stopped since he was not heartless or comfortable enough to leave his two friends to deal with the trouble of security. But then again if they were to leave with him they'll all be safe.

"H-hey guys…" Tsuna was interrupted when the door opened to the last two people he wanted to see at that moment.

"Sawada-dono?" Sarutaro and his assistance looked confused at him being at the door, but Tsuna just shook their worries away and walked back to the table with the single chair in which Yamamoto was currently sitting.

The two bank employees followed over and presented their business cards with requests of his identification which he produces with a little clumsiness. They looked suspiciously at him, but let it go since his identity checked out.

"Before I can open this, there is actually a test of authenticity that came with this case that you must first provide. I need to see an orange flame" Sarutaro looked expectantly at the brunet. He had seen the Nono's dying will flame only a few time during his long years of service, but he knew what to look for as he watched Tsuna bring out a cane or some sort of weapon. He was surprised however when the brunet only lifted his bare hand.

Mai on the other hand was looking outrage in the stead of the three boys. An orange flame? How were they supposed to produce it without a lighter or match? Sarutaro must be playing around with the kids. She shut her mouth when a flame was produced before her eye without a tool of some sort and was burning the hand of the shortest boy.

She screamed, or was it the black hair boy who screamed? Mai wasn't sure, but Sarutaro nodded his head before walking around the table between the two groups to knee down at the brunet's feet.

"I, Sarutaro Akira, have seen to the authenticity of your resolve, Decimo." he grabbed the brunet hand which the silver head boy instantly karate chopped.

"He is not the Decimo yet!" Gokudera shouted, "You'll have to wait until Juudaime is fully installed!"

Sarutaro looked surprised, but then a good nature chuckle escape his lip, "I understand." He gave the boy a small bow as apology. The boy still hadn't sworn his own loyalty and he wanted to be the first when the brunet officially became the Decimo. Turning once more to the brunet, he smiled "Let's open the case then shall we?"

Tsuna nervously nodded, a part of him thanking Gokudera for stopping the man he was now sure was a mafioso in disguise.

Sarutaro called Mai over to unchain him. Leaving the case handle side of the handcuff on to save time, Mai handed the key back to her superior.

Unlocking the black case, Sarutaro opened it to reveal a wooden box with a beautifully crafted symbol of the Vongola Famiglia crest. A small black box with silver markings of the same crest sat just next to the wooden container. Gold tainted the corners and around the single hole at the top being surround by seven colored gems.

Mai was a bit disappointed at the plain looking items inside the case when she had just saw something so out of the ordinary like flaming hands just moment before followed by kneeling like in those fairy tales with princes and princesses. She held her hope however, when Sarutaro pulled out the wooden box. _Perhaps something of value was inside?_

"From Timoteo-dono…" the box open to revealed seven grey rings. Each ring looked like a three pointed shield with different designs imprinted upon its surface, but the one sitting in the center was clearly different from the other six with its round sphere surface with blue gem-like coating. Mai could faintly make out the word 'Vongola'.

The brunet looked shocked, but not the shock that Mai would have expected of one who was receiving a wonderful gift, but out of terror.

"That old man can't be serious!" he yelled before Sarutaro could finish speaking, "He expect me to drag others into this?"

The other occupants of the room looked confused, but Sarutaro understood exactly why Tsuna was angry.

"Timoteo-dono had told me you would acted like that. But the sky cannot be the sky without its other natures, it would only be a empty vastness." He could see that the brunet was still angry, but he must play his role to the very end. "I also got a message from Timoteo-dono…_Time's up, Tsunayoshi_."

Tsuna wanted to spit, he wanted to stab, he wanted to do a lot of unsaid things to the man before him, but he knew that the man was only a messenger. It was unwise to kill the messenger just because he hated the message. Although, it was tempting the longer he stayed in the room. So with a slam on the box and case, he grabbed the items and marched out the door.

Gokudera quickly followed after him leaving Yamamoto who was stuck in the chair to do the paper works. Mai was sure that something went wrong and that the brunet shouldn't have been able to leave with the article so easily, but Sarutaro stopped her from following. The look in his eyes told that she would never speak of what had just happened or she would suffer greatly.

* * *

><p>"<em>Vongola?" the eleven year old brunet asked the younger baby dressed in an ironed suit.<em>

_The baby lifted his lip into a smile, yet there was not emotion coming from his beady black eyes. "Yes, the Nono, the current Don, would like to meet you so you should at least learn about his Famiglia as a respect." Reborn had told him before cramping his head with information about the Vongola Famiglia._

"_Guardians?" Tsuna didn't understand the word having never heard about it before or at least he had never remember hearing the word, yet the very word made him want to learn more._

"_That's right, Vongola's strength come from the fact that they don't only count on the power of their boss, but his guardians as well. A group of seven people with different skills and knowledge is the key that make Vongola Famiglia the strongest Mafia Family in the world._

"_Of course, there are conditions for each guardian to fulfil just like the conditions for the boss to be able to accept all their strengths and weaknesses, each guardian have his or her own roles to play."_

"_Conditions? What kind Reborn?" a hit against his head from a Leon-Hammer and a order to call the baby Reborn-sama was ignored._

"_For example…and you should burn it into your memories Dame-Tsuna…the duty of the sun is…_

"…to become the brilliant sun that burns away all the Family's adversities with their body." Tsuna sighed as his head hit the kotatsu he was at. The paper under his head shifted against the light wind he created as the pen rolled further away. "Sounds too much like onii-san. He always seems so blindingly bright that I have to shield away."

He sat back up to jot down some words before fading into his sea of memories once again.

"_So~ the cloud guardian job is to be aloof?" Tsuna asked Reborn who was taking a slip from his cup of coffee._

"_You can say that, but it's more like where they observe from the outside and give advices or helps when the boss asks for it." Reborn paused for another slip, "Although history stated that the first cloud guardian was completely from another Famiglia altogether, only helping the Primo out when they just happen to cross paths. Nowadays, that man's Famiglia is a part of Vongola and their leader is said to hold just as much power as the current boss in times of emergency."_

"_Could they really fuse two Families together?"_

"_Normally it happens through marriages, but Vongola Primo was the only one who actually made a different Famiglia a part of his own without any real ties and probably the only Famiglia that are still connected with each other for more than just a twenty years limit. Mafiosos are, after all, not very trustworthy even with strong alliances._

"_The first cloud guardian was said to be a man full of pride and noble quality…"_

"Pride and nobility?" an image of the school prefect walking down the hall and killing the bully picking on a female schoolmate flashed into Tsuna's mind. He shook away the thought the moment it appeared, a shiver ran down his spine for daring to think of such a thought.

He repeated the process a few times, each time scribbling down on the sheet before drifting off to see a memorie of Reborn and him chatting it up on lessons he was not fully paying attention to at the time. During one of these many trips into dreamland, Tsuna fell asleep when his body finally gave up on him after being overworked and overly stressed for two whole days. He was unaware that the next time he woke up, the sun would be shining brightly like the boxer he had named it after and the cheerful greeting of his storm counterpart.

"_Storms are scary, Reborn. Why is there even a storm guardian?"_

"_Storms are always raging and at the core of any attack. They are usually the first line of defence of the sky."_

"…and the first to wake the sky" Tsuna sleepily yawned before returning Gokudera's greeting with his own. He shivered slightly from a chilling air that seeped across his face. _Strange wasn't the window closed?_

He waved the thoughts away when Gokudera told him to get ready for school. But instead Tsuna just sat where he was at and dazedly watches Gokudera going over to pack their bags for the day. A small grateful smile appearing upon his face before he turned back to the paper he had slept on through the night.

The smile instantly dropped as he stared down at the list. What was he even thinking making such a list in the first place? It was ridiculous since he decided that he didn't need Vongola's power after all. He would just kill Vincent on his own. There was just no way that he going to drag his friends into his mess! With that thought, Tsuna crumbled up the sheet with his final goal to trash it.

"Juudaime, everything is ready to go!" Gokudera was just too peppy in the morning as Tsuna jump off the floor so he could get to the bathroom for his morning ritual. He completely forgot about the letter in his rush.

Gokudera, being Gokudera decided that he should help his boss clean up the mess he left behind picked up the sheet the brunet had dropped only to freeze when he saw his name upon the list. _Why was his name on there? Was Juudaime making a list of possible right-hand man candidates? Why was he planning to throw the sheet away? Am I not worthy?_

"Gokudera-kun." Tsuna sudden voice from behind him snapped his mind back to reality and he found himself stuffing the paper into his pocket as he gave his boss an uncomfortable smile.

"Yes, Juudaime?" His voice pitched a tone higher than normal which earned him a suspicious stare from Tsuna.

"Gyaa-ha-ha-ha!" the annoying laugh from their youngest resident interrupted Tsuna's suspicion from Gokudera as the boy ran away from Haru who was trying to dress him in his new cow-printed one piece pajama.

Tsuna smiled completely forgetting about Gokudera's weirdness as he watched Lambo.

"_Lightning draw away attention with their loudness and flashily nature. They are like the sun in the darkness. Their jobs are usually just to act as a distraction, so it's best if you don't put too much fate in any lightning guardian you meet." Reborn was polishing Leon in his gun-form._

_The young boy, studying the books that laid scattered on the table across him, flinched when the gun was suddenly pointed at him for the wrong answer on the sheet._

"_Do it again and do it right." Reborn commanded as he transformed his partner into its hammer-form to send a good hard smack against Tsuna's head._

_Tears threatened to fall, but Tsuna knew better than to cry openly in front of the big meanie that was his tutor. The last time he cried, the baby had left him on some deserted island for a month._

"_I can't help it," Tsuna took the chance to play the whining card, "You said that lightning are distracting…"_

_The smirk on Reborn face was the last he remembered of that day._

Tsuna shivered at the memory as he wondered if maybe Reborn had planned his meeting with Lambo, but then he remember that the baby hitman seemed to hate the little crybaby too much to have wanted Tsuna to pick him as a guardian. He shook his thoughts away before turning back to Gokudera.

"I'm ready to go, sorry for making you wait."

"No problem, Juudaime." he was glad that his voice returned to normal by then as the two said their farewells to Fuuta seeing that Haru was still too busy with chasing Lambo to really care about their departure.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was at a loss to where Gokudera and Yamamoto had went when break time came and the two boys were nowhere to be seen. It was like the two were avoiding him. He kind of expected it from Yamamoto after what had happened yesterday. The taller boy had called him late in the evening to ask why he had left so abruptly and he was sure that Yamamoto was a little angry at his avoidance of the answer. But it was strange to have Gokudera who was acting the same as usual this morning disappear on him as well.<p>

Tsuna was nervous. He didn't want to be alone with Vincent again like last time, he was already bad enough that he went crazy from his last encounter with the man, he didn't think that he could really survive as of yet. Tsuna reached into his coat, making sure that the small weapons he hid in there were still there. Going down, he felt the pair of glove still in his pocket.

Taking them out to look at, Tsuna felt an abnormal sense of peace as he decided it might be better to just wear them. He could always give Hibari some excuse for them if he gets caught, he knew he would get caught sooner or later, but the gloves gave him a sense of tranquillity that he didn't want to give up.

"…Tsuna," the sound of Yamamoto's voice made him rush toward the source, incredibly happy to have found his friends at last. He stopped before turning the corner, however when a single word reached him, "…annoying…"

_Was Yamamoto still talking about him?_ Tsuna decided to take a peek around the wall to see that Gokudera was with the jock.

"I know, but he is still the next in line to Vongola." Gokudera words were like a knife stabbing into his heart. He had always known that Gokudera had only liked him because he was to be the Decimo, the boy after all would only refer to him as 'Juudaime', but to actually hear it from the person himself was too cruel when he finally found a friend in the boy.

"Does he plan on dragging us in as well?" Yamamoto asked, "I don't want to join the mafia just because of his selfishness."

"He is going to need us to protect him and besides serving the next Don of the most powerful Mafia Family will be really rewarding."

Each word was like a nail being hammer deeper and deeper into his heart as Tsuna struggled to stand. Tears wet his face, but he ignored them in favor of getting away from the two he grew so fond of during their time together. He should have known that it was too good to be true that he had finally found friends who could understand him. He should've never let them get so close. It was like 'Nana' all over again. He was being betrayed by the people he trusted most.

"_Reborn, is Mist even a weather pattern?" asked Tsuna. He was hugging his arms closer toward his body as the chilling air brushed across his face. Reborn had woke him up before the crack of dawn to make him run twenty miles toward the harbor. It was only thanks to the sudden fog around the bridge they were on that Reborn allowed him to take a short break._

"_Of course, it may not happen in the sky like the others, but it's created from the cold and wet air in the atmosphere. The mist is a creation from nothing and yet it can be something that disappears into nothing…_

"…a deception to one's enemy and hid the truth. If only I didn't see you again, I could pretend this didn't exist." Tsuna whispered through his tears, "I wish you could hide me…"

* * *

><p>Gokudera was sweating. He couldn't believe it. How could he do this? Why did he betray his boss's trust in him? How could he do something so unforgivable?<p>

"Gokudera!" a cheerful voice made him jump almost three feet into the air before he turns to glare at the owner of the voice.

"Why are you still here?" Gokudera yelled wanting the jock to go away so that he could do what he had set out to do, "You followed me all the way from the classroom! What is it that you want?"

"Nothing really…" Yamamoto smiled at how flusher his silver haired friend was being for being caught hiding out at the back of the school. At first he was only worried about Tsuna after what had happened yesterday and had followed Gokudera to get some answer out of the Italian. But with Gokudera acting so jumpy, he became more worried for the bomber than Tsuna.

"Then go away!" Gokudera growled, standing firm on his decision to chase the jock away so that he could finally see what his boss had written concerning him.

"What is it you got there?" Yamamoto asked when his sharp eyes caught the paper in Gokudera's hand before he could hide it completely. He only called attention to it in order to dragged out the time until he had no choice but to leave without finding out why Gokudera was acting so fidgety, but he soon became aware that the answer to his question was the piece of paper itself.

"N-n-nothing! G-go away!"

"Let me see it." Yamamoto was getting excited. Something on that paper was making Gokudera nervous and a nervous Gokudera was kind of cute, even more so when the Italian only scowled and glared in embarrassment. It was funny to see a different side of his friend. He was going to see the paper if it was the last thing he do.

Luckily, it didn't have to be the last thing Yamamoto had to do when even the wind became his ally and blew the paper out of Gokudera's hand. Being the baseball star that he is, Yamamoto was able to catch the sheet before it gotten further away. His height was a big help, but Yamamoto claimed it was all skill on his part.

Looking down he became a little surprise at seeing his own name on the sheet, "What's this?"

Gokudera seemed to have returned to normal now that the paper was no longer in his hand. Instead, he demanded for the paper back.

Yamamoto ignored him, "Yamamoto…Rain Guardian?" he read from the sheet before Gokudera grabbed from his hand to look for himself.

"This is Juudaime's choices on guardians," he exclaimed in surprised as he scanned the rest of the list. "Sun—Onii-san, Rain—Yamamoto, Storm—Gokudera, Lightning—Lambo, Cloud—Hibari, and Mist—Mukuro. Who's Mukuro?" Gokudera asked rereading the list again to make sure he'd gotten a few of the names on the list correctly. Why was Hibari on there? Never mind the baseball idiot and lawn head but why the annoying cow brat there as well. Is this really the Tenth's decision? Well it must be since his name was on it, but why are those other idiots on there as well?

"What is going on Gokudera? What did you meant by Tsuna's choices on guardians?" Yamamoto demanded since his name was on the sheet, he had the right to know.

"You remember the seven rings from yesterday?" Gokudera sighed knowing that the jock wouldn't let it go until he got an answer now since his name was on the list, "The Vongola Famiglia had an old tradition where the boss must have a set of six guardians before he could take on the title of Don Vongola. I'm guessing Juudaime only picked you because he doesn't know many people."

"What does the rain guardian do then?" Yamamoto decided that he should go along with it for now and since Gokudera had finally begun to sound talkative, it was probably his only chance to get answer.

"The job of the rain guardian is to become the requiem rain that settles conflict and washes everything away." a deeper and smoother voice than that of Gokudera answered him, "Vongola sure made a right choice in picking you, Yamamoto-niisan."

"_Why did you choose Yamamoto-niisan to become the Rain while I got stuck with the Lightning?" Lambo screamed at the brunet standing behind the huge wooden desk facing the even bigger window._

"_His smile is always so compassionate even though I know that most of the time it's fake, but even more so, Takeshi is able to wash away all my doubts and angers." Tsuna explained with such a gentle smile that Lambo couldn't argue that Yamamoto had done a great job as the man's rain._

"_Beside, lightning is much more of a fitting for you Lambo—the all powerful strike of light that flashes through the sky…" Lambo founded himself gasping at the brunet for his cheesy statement said in such a straight tone of voice that he couldn't talk back. Sure he was happy to be called 'all powerful' but a man as old as Tsuna, shouldn't have spoke like that to someone ten years younger than him. It just sounded so cheesy and embarrassing!_

The two teens stared confusingly at the older teen lending against the wall. He was quite at peace with his wavy hair parted to both sides leaving a long bang falling down the middle and a permanent wink on his right eye. A black coat went over a cow printed suit as a bull horns necklace adored his bare chest.

Yamamoto felt weird it out by the older teen calling him 'niisan', although, he could just be taller and not older, but Yamamoto couldn't get the mature feeling from the teen to go away.

"Do I know you?" Yamamoto decided that it would make life simpler if he just asked the boy—teen than trying to remember if he met the guy before.

"We've met. But you won't really get to know me until a few years later, I believe." His words were as confusing as he made himself appeared, but Yamamoto just smiled as he took in the words as the guy being a future friend to their little group.

"By the way, where is Vongola? I want to see him as a little twerp again." the teen chuckled.

Gokudera screamed, forgetting all else as he rushed passed the two dumbstruck males.

"Juudaime is alone right now!" Yamamoto caught the shout as he decided to follow after his thug-like friend.

Lambo was left alone once more. He gave his hair a comb through with his hand, before sighing at the slowly disappearing back of the two teens, having to see Yamamoto-niisan without getting some treats from the jock as well as the still bad-tempered Gokudera-nii.

As he wandered down the school yard toward the exit he couldn't stop a thought that enter his head. "I wonder if I could go make fun of I-pin's big head." Lambo chuckled just as he disappeared into a cloud of pink smoke only to be replaced by a smaller and more familiar toddler in cow print pajama running towards the school gate as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

* * *

><p>"What do you want?", Tsuna spitted at the teen standing before him. His tears marred his face, but he could care less upon facing the taller male. The man had seen him cry plenty of times before, one more wouldn't have make any different.<p>

"Meet me up at the roof afterschool." was the only replied and command the brunet got when the bell chimed throughout the school signalling the start of class as students and teachers all headed back to their classroom.

Tsuna wanted to just ignore the teen all together, but the last whisper from the teen made him rethink his decision.

"Then I guess I'll be seeing you there, Tsu-chan~." Vincent crooned with a single wave behind him as he made his way back toward class.

Tsuna was much temped to just bring out the gun that was store under his Namimori coat and just shoot the guy's head, but with so many students still wandering around, he couldn't do anything. How dared that man even mention Reborn! Tsuna, however, couldn't hold back his punch like he did with the gun, as his gloved fist crack the wall he was leaning on, apathetic about the fact that Hibari was going to hunt him down and 'bite him to death' later for the destruction of school property . Damn that man for threatening him with Reborn's life!

* * *

><p>Gokudera looked as if he had just been run over by a truck only to have found himself still standing in the middle of the road, still alive. Tsuna had totally ignored him like the truck in his mind as his boss brushed aside his greeting in order reached his seat. <em>Did Juudaime realize that he stole the list?<em> He wanted to blame Yamamoto, but the jock didn't do anything wrong. He didn't take the paper from the Tenth's house. Yamamoto didn't focus him to read the sheet. Nor could he have told Tsuna that Gokudera's stole from him.

The both of them had just arrived at the classroom door when they saw Tsuna heading down the hall and Gokudera being the best right-hand man that he was, greeted the Tenth with a cheerful wave only to have the brunet totally ignoring him as he glided pass the door and into his room.

He faintly noticed Yamamoto following the brunet back to their seats, but Tsuna was not paying attention to the jock either. A couple more students passed him to get into the room, but Gokudera was still so detached from his body that only when the teacher finally arrived and he was guided to his seat like a puppet on strings that silver head boy finally moved.

Yamamoto's worries took another level as Tsuna's unusual-ness seemed to have continued from the day before persisted as the boy ignored his greeting as well as Gokudera's. He was sure that Tsuna had returned to normal last evening during the phone call. That was why he felt it was fine to have leave him alone for the thirty minutes break they had been granted to follow after Gokudera, but now he regretted his action. He shouldn't have chased after the Italian boy and leave Tsuna alone. Tsuna seemed to be trying his best to ignored the two of them and he just couldn't figure out what had happened between the half an hour.

He noticed Tsuna was avoiding eye contact with them, the brunet's eyes were puffer than usual and he could see trails from smitten tears on the boy face as if he just rubbed at them to dry just before coming to class. _Could he be avoiding them because he didn't want them to noticed that he was crying?_ Yamamoto wasn't allowed to dwell on it as he was called upon to answer the question on the board. As always, Yamamoto just went with his gut when it came to answering.

"62?" he laughed when the teacher dejectedly confirmed his answer. Yamamoto had wondered if maybe he was some sort of genius or just really, REALLY lucky. But neither genius nor luck would help him solve the mystery behind Tsuna's actions.


	14. Vanished Sky

**Chapter 14: Vanished Sky**

Gokudera Hayato nosily made his way into the classroom the next morning at the exact same instant that Vincent Contiello reached the door. Both boys pushed the other out of the way in order to be the first to enter, only to find that they both needed to struggle through the frame just to kiss the floor. Both mirrored the other's action as they glared the other one down before looking around the room for the person they had been waiting the whole night for—Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Yo, Gokudera! Good morning!" Yamamoto cheerfully greeted his silver haired friend as the said teen made his way into the room. The panic look on the teen face made him tensed, "What'd happened?"

Even as dense as he was, Yamamoto was well aware that only one thing could have made Gokudera panic was a short boy he called 'Juudaime'. A quick scanned around of room with no sign of the brown haired teen was just further proof that something was wrong. Gokudera only so rarely left the boy alone and unless there is a reason of some sort Gokudera would have been glued to Tsuna like a dog to his master.

"Where's Tsuna?" the boy looked as if he had just crushed his last hope with the simple question.

"I-I don't know!" Gokudera wailed. He didn't cry, but being as loud as he was, Gokudera had drawn the attention of the whole class. "I lost Juudaime!"

"_Lost? How can you lose a person?_" Yamamoto wanted to scream, but instead he replied with a calm, "I'm sure Tsuna just forgot to tell you he was going out for a while."

"Juudaime didn't come home the whole night!" the bomber growled, blowing away the last speck of hope Yamamoto was silently holding on to.

"Maybe he went to a friend's house?" Yamamoto asked even thought he knew that the answer was not possible with Tsuna's list of friends. Sadly for the brunet, the number of friends he had could be counted on one hand and two of his 'friends' were even standing in this exact room.

"I've already seen the lawn-head!" Gokudera spat. "Juudaime wasn't there and lawn-head promised to search the town, so I decided to see if Juudaime came here!"

"We should go help him search." Yamamoto suggested, "Let's go."

He didn't have to wait for Gokudera's slight nod as the boy was pushing his way through the crowd that had gather around the door. Surprisingly, Hibari didn't come to break them up nor did any of the teacher bothered to stop the two boys from leaving school ground.

Vincent followed them out, but took another route as he stormed off into some unknown destination.

Vincent's frown deepened, as he rethought his plan. Everything was going so perfectly yesterday when he left the brunet, so what went wrong? He had tricked the boy into believing that his two friends thought he was annoying. Then he had managed to get Tsuna up the roof at the end of the day with his threat on the Arcobaleno's life.

"_What do you want?" Tsuna growled at the long hair boy leaning against the steel railing of the fence surrounding the rooftop._

_He just smiled at the victory that came from the brunet following his order to the dot, "Isn't it beautiful up here?" He dragged out the conversation knowing that the brunet wouldn't leave until he got to the point of their meeting. It was always fun teasing the boy and he had solely missed it during the last four years._

"_What do you want?" Tsuna repeated more heated than the first time. He was near the breaking point again, but held back knowing that Sergio was probably watching from somewhere even if he couldn't see that red haired demon. He was as sure as thinking that the sun would always rise from the east that Sergio would be ready to kill him the moment he even made a scratch against the Lillarosa's Don._

_Vincent smirked wanting to see how far he could break the brunet until he finally snapped. The boy always snapped, it was just a matter of time and he always had ways to get the boy to crack._

"_Tsu-chan, why don't you come back with me to the Lillarosa's estate? I'll even let you see the Arcobaleno if you're well behaved."_

_Vincent watched as Tsuna took a step forward before pulling back. The boy was struggling, but that single step he took was all Vincent needed in order to know that he had won. Now all he had to do was to seal it in the boy's mind that he could never win, "I'll even promise not to touch those fools you called friends."_

"_You wouldn't…"_

"_I would." Vincent interrupted, all traits of pleasantry gone from his voice, "I'm a mafia boss if you have forgotten. I do have the power to kill them. If you really don't want to see them dead, I suggest you come to Warehouse 96 tonight." He bore his stare into the shaking brunet as he walked closer. Reaching a hand out, he place it against Tsuna's cheek only to have the brunet swat the hand away._

_He pulled back right away, an angry fire flaring within those dark blue orbs at the abuse his hand had suffered. Tsuna was still afraid to be touched by another human, he was aware of it since he had seen the boy flinching and dodging the kids around him. But Vincent also noticed that his defence seemed to lack around those two boys that always hung around like flies. It wasn't just those two, but it was especially around them that Tsuna usually allowed himself to be the young cheerful boy from his memories. He hated them. Those two boys were stealing what belonged to him._

"_I expect you to come tonight, Tsu-chan!" he snarled at the sight of a shaking Tsuna before him. He left the brunet up on the roof to let his words sink into the boy's head. There was no way that Tsuna was heartless enough to let him kill those two even if he felt betrayed by them. Tsuna was a kind-hearted boy that was just too pure to be able to survive in the mafia world. He had won._

"P-p-please…" cried the brunet as he dodged yet another strikes that aimed for his head, "C-can w-we at lea-least have a break?", Tsuna panted from jumping away from the blunt weapon that just want to touch his skin. He howled in pain when a hit landed on his chest. Tsuna was forced to slide away from the weapon with a choking breath from the painfully strong strike.

"After you knock me down." the taller Japanese boy stated. Compared to the brunet, Hibari voice was as smooth and even as ever despite the continuous attacks he send towards the younger boy. A small excited grin appeared on his face, "If you win, I'll stop."

Tsuna stared wide eyed at the older teen, a part of him wonder if the prefect was serious. Well, he must have been serious considering the fact that Tsuna had been chased all the way from the school's roof…_last evening_ all the way to the dark forest near the shrine where the festival had taken place not too long ago. He wasn't sure why Hibari was on the roof, but the prefect had overhead his talk with Vincent. Although, he had to wonder if the prefect really cared about their talk, when all Hibari did after jumping off the door's roof was demand a fight from him.

They had been fighting ever since and he was faintly sure that the night had already passed but in the dense, dark forest, Tsuna wasn't sure if daybreak had come as of yet. Even if days were to pass, Tsuna was sure he couldn't tell as his mind solely focused on trying to escape from Hibari's tonfas.

A sharp and unexpected kick into his unguarded stomach remind him that Hibari didn't just fight with his tonfas. Breathing became harder and harder as Tsuna pushed off the ground just in time to escape the prefect's next blow. Tsuna had learned quite a while ago that Hibari was merciless, but he never thought that the teen was heartless enough to continue striking at him after he was feeling so wearied out after a whole night of dodging. It was like fighting a battle robot that only has one function and that was to attack him until he destroyed the bot or get destroyed in return. He was pretty sure from how Hibari was acting that the teen would most likely attack him even after he was knock out or dead.

Rolling away from the hit that shattered the ground he was on, Tsuna scattered back on his feet to rush deeper into the thick forest. Hibari was hot on his trail as the tonfas slammed into a tree bark where his head would've been if he didn't dodge. Another strike at his head where he couldn't dodge and Tsuna found himself for the first time countering the blow with a roundhouse kick, sending the blunt weapon spinning out of Hibari's hand and into the air. It twirled for a moment before dropping with a 'thump' on the dirt-covered ground.

"Wao." Hibari's blood boiled with excitement, "I see, you finally feel like attacking." A grin was all Tsuna needed to know that today would later become his death anniversary if he didn't run…no, running would not save him, he had to fight if he wanted to survive.

* * *

><p>Vincent had passed the point of frustration hours ago. Now he was just downright cantankerous as he listened to the man he had assigned to keep consent watch over Tsuna, reporting that he had lost track of the boy after he went back home.<p>

For a moment he had thought that perhaps the brunet was still hiding at home, but Gokudera's panicking reaction was an honest reflection of his feelings. Tsuna couldn't be hiding at home.

"B-boss?" the man sure had courage to speak again when he was on the edge of death, "I did find one thing strange about the boy's disappearance…"

"What is it? Speak!" Vincent ordered, any clue was welcome when no clue could be found.

"A-a strange fog surrounded the entrance last evening, but since I could see him leave the mist, I didn't think muc—" the man never got to finished what he wanted to say as Vincent fired the gun for the useless information.

Chrome, however, didn't think that it was useless information as she wondered if she had finally found what she was looking for. Too bad for her, the only lead she got was dead.

* * *

><p>Gokudera, under Yamamoto's suggestion, had decided to head back home to see if Tsuna had come back during the time he was out, but the brunet was still missing.<p>

The only ones at home were Lambo. Haru was at school, so that was understandable, but Fuuta was missing as well which Yamamoto couldn't help, but worry since he had been there the night the boy was attacked.

"Lambo-sama doesn't know." the little boy said while picking his nose in an uncaring manner. "But if you want to play with Lambo-sama, he found a great treasure to play with!" he pull out a wooden box from his afro.

Both teens' eyes widen at the box recognizing it from their trip to the bank. It was the box containing the Vongola's rings.

"Where did you get that stupid cow?" Gokudera made a grab at the box that Lambo was holding up proudly.

"It's mine!" exclaimed Lambo as he fighting with Gokudera who was struggling to pull the box away from him.

The sound of the door opening revealed an upset Haru, "What are you doing to Lambo-chan!" Her yelling cause Gokudera to jump with the kid still attached to the other end of the box as gravity took hold and Lambo's hand's slipped along with the box.

Yamamoto just watched from his seat as the whole room seemed to have been trapped in a slow motion drama. Haru went flying as quick as the slow pace of a slow motion drama allowed in order to catch the falling Lambo. Gokudera landed safety on his side of the room, but looked in shock that he had let go of his boss' possession. The wooden box was still flying through the air when the latch holding the lid snapped opened, the contents of the box falling slower than the box itself as they escape the box's cushions. The drop to the ground was scattering, but it brought back the pace of reality as Gokudera yelled at Haru for surprising him by coming home so early and Lambo for his part in the mess, which Gokudera deemed was entirely the brat's fault.

Yamamoto being the peacemaker distracts Gokudera with the task of looking for the fallen rings.

"We should find them before Tsuna decides to come back…" he never got to finish when Lambo laughed.

"Dame-Tsuna went on a trip and won't be back." Lambo was attacked by Gokudera the moment those words left his mouth.

"What do you mean by Juudaime not coming back?"

"Lambo's not telling! You broke Lambo's present!" the kid turned away from the angry Gokudera, not flinching from the deathly glare the teen was sending him.

"What present? I never touch anything of yours!" he growled in his defence. Gokudera could proudly admit to never having touched anything that belonged to the kid, mostly because he feared touching the kid's snots. He had seen a lot of the kid's items getting dirty one way or another enough to fear getting close to them.

"You did! Everyone saw it! You toss it and broke it after taking it from Lambo! Tsuna's present!" Lambo whined and cried causing two small water fountains to flow from his large green eyes.

"Do you mean the wooden box?" Yamamoto tried to clarified with the kid. He couldn't believe that Tsuna would have given the box away so casually when the box had seemed important enough to be held in a high security account. He knew since he was the one who did all those paperwork at the bank.

Lambo only looked at him with a kid's eyes, not sure if he should tell the adult before him the truth or not. On one hand, the jock had treated him pretty kindly, always bringing him sweets when he came over, but on the other hand he didn't really talk with the teen enough to be call friend.

"Will you treat Lambo-sama to ice cream?" he decided to take the business route and as his father had always told him, business equals deals and deals always lead to getting what you want. In this case, what Lambo wanted was ice cream.

"Sure." Yamamoto agreed upon the contract before Gokudera had the time to mess it up by scaring the boy into silence.

Lambo smile at the answer, "Dame-Tsuna gave Lambo-sama the box and a paper as a gift after telling Lambo he doesn't have time to play. So give Lambo-sama his ice cream!" the boy demanded.

"Wait. Not until Lambo tells us where the paper Tsuna gave you is at." Yamamoto explained believing that the paper must mention Tsuna's whereabouts. Lambo frowned.

"Lambo wants ice cream!"

"We need Juudaime's note first!" Gokudera yelled not so kindly grabbing the boy by the legs and started bouncing him up and down.

"STOP!" Haru screamed at him in anger, "You're hurting Lambo-chan!"

"Back off woman," the silver head growled, "The stupid cow is holding Juudaime's letter in his hair somewhere, I just know it."

"Even so, you can't just hurt La—" she never got to finish when a piece of paper flown out of Lambo's hair and landed on the floor.

Yamamoto was the first to pick it up and scanned his eyes down the page.

"So what does it say?" Gokudera asked watching the jock's eyes narrow as he dropped the crying Lambo into Haru's arm.

"It's not from Tsuna." Yamamoto answered not looking up at the other boy, "It's telling us to claim the rings assigned to us according to Tsuna's list if we want to see Tsuna again."

Gokudera grabbed the paper out of Yamamoto's hand as he reread it to make sure. Indeed, the note was not written in Tsuna's writing, and yet it was signed with Tsuna's name.

"What's going on here?" Gokudera asked even though he was sure no one in the room held an answer.

After a few moment of silence, Yamamoto decided to follow the letter's order, "We should pick up the rings and pass it out, Gokudera. You still remember the list from yesterday, don't you?"

Gokudera snarled at the lax attitude of the boy, before sharply replying with a sharp "aye".

"But how do we tell which ring is which?" Yamamoto asked looking at two of the rings he had picked up. "This one has a teardrop, while this one is just a round circle."

"Wait, you only found two?" Gokudera asked as panic once again settle upon his face, "We're missing three rings!"

* * *

><p>Tsuna cursed his short stature the moment his punch didn't reached Hibari's face, but landed on the older male's arm instead. He was glad that he had made the decision to wear those gloves yesterday or else he was sure he would have been too afraid to even land that punch. The blow however, didn't even seem to faze the prefect as Tsuna found himself bouncing away from the recoil of his attack.<p>

Hibari didn't even allow him the time to escape as the skylark charged forward. Tsuna backed away, making sure that his back never faced a fighting mode Hibari again after the third hit had send him to the ground in an almost near death status. He was quickly learning to run backward as his brown lock flown forward around his eyes from the speed in which he was forced to move. Pushing the strains of hair back, he wished he had just gotten a hair cut when he had the chance, but now was not the time to be thinking such thoughts as he noticed a boulder not too far from his location.

Now he had to trick Hibari into inattention for a few seconds and he could hide behind the rock to escape further attacks from the boy. Those rumours he had heard during his years at Nami-chuu had always made Hibari into a monster, but that was an understatement to Tsuna. If only they could see their delinquent committee leader now, Tsuna was sure there would be new and scarier rumours about a blood thirsty killing machine on the loose.

_BAM!_

The sound was the last of Tsuna's hope for escaping as the boulder he had been pinning for got crushed before he had gotten the chance to even hide behind it. Then again, with how easily it had been destroyed by Hibari's tonfas, Tsuna doubted that it would have protected him anyway. In fact, now that he thought about it, he was probably lucked out because now he wouldn't have to be crushed under piles of broken rocks.

Hibari didn't even seem fazed by the soaring rocks from his tonfas impact against solid mineral as he continued to charge at the fleeing Tsuna. An annoying memory of Reborn chasing down a younger Tsuna with his unlimited bullets Leon-gun, popped into the brunet's mind as he tried to shake them away. Between Reborn and Hibari, he was sure that Hibari scared him more even though his mind labelled Reborn as the more dangerous of the two. At the very least, compared to Hibari, the sadist baby had the control to stop when Tsuna's stomach growled for the nth times during their fight.

He really had become pretty spoiled since meeting up with Gokudera and Yamamoto. Since the day that Gokudera had transfer into his class and Yamamoto offering to share his lunch, Tsuna had forgotten how painful hunger could really be. Why did he have to be so stubborn as to ignore his _only_ two friends because of some lousy illusion of Vincent's creation? His intuition had warned him that it was a bad idea to believe the scene since the moment he laid eyes on the two illusionary figures of his friends, but Tsuna had chosen to pay it no heed and now he was paying the price.

Now he was going to die, whether by Hibari's hands or from the pain of starvation, Tsuna regretted even thinking that the first two friends would have betrayed him so easily. He should have had more fate in them. If only he could have another chance to see them, Tsuna promised to try trusting them a bit more.

As if some gods or sprites or maybe even the devil had heard him, Tsuna found himself coming to a sudden stop from sensing a movement where there shouldn't be any. Hibari surprisingly followed his lead and came to a stop as well.

"What are you doing here?" he was now sure that it was the devil that had answered his prayer when a pineapple hairstyle peeked out from behind a tree.

"I-I'm sorry." the shy, polite and female voice was however not what he had expected when a girl around his age walked out into the open. She was slightly shorter than him, so he assumed that she must be younger, but her hair style as it was, Tsuna couldn't tell if she really was shorter or if it was just some hidden wish of his that made her shorter than she appeared. The skull eye patch on her right eye made Tsuna wondered if maybe she was Mukuro in disguise. That was brushed away, however, upon seeing the amethyst gem in her left eye. She and Mukuro have their similarities, but she was not Mukuro.

"Who are you? You're not Mukuro!" Tsuna exclaimed in shock before the words really reached his brain.

"Do you know Mukuro-sama?" the girl sounded desperate and Tsuna couldn't help but admit to knowing the man.

Hibari, however, just glared at the girl for interrupting his fight, but shifted his attention towards a nearby tree at the sudden feeling of familiarity in the air.

Tsuna looked up just as he did, temporary ignoring the girl as well, "So I wasn't mistaken, you are there Mukuro!"

"Kufufufu…" the weird chuckling was all he needed to know that he had been correct about sensing the illusionist's presence during his struggles with Hibari.

"Mukuro-sama!" the girl cried in a joyous cheer, that opposite those of her males companion.

"I never expected to see you here, Chrome-chan." he gave her a look that told her to wait a while longer before turning to face Tsuna, "and a greeting to you, too, my little-mafia-boss."

Tsuna twitched at the 'little' part of the greeting, although he hated the whole greeting from Mukuro altogether. He much rather be fighting Hibari than to hear another greeting from the enigmatic man.

Hibari also didn't seem to like being ignored when he jumped away from the brunet and toward the tree. Tonfas in both hands, the prefect slammed it into the bark of an old matsu tree that Mukuro had disappeared from into a thin smoke of mist when he was about to be strike in the face.

"Impatient aren't you?" Mukuro sang reappearing behind Hibari who had jumped back from the pine's waving branch.

Hibari was quick to react as he attacked before Mukuro could tease him any further. The mad man was laughing at the blows that Hibari send his way that would keep on missing his smirking face.

"Hibari, that's only an illusion!" Tsuna screamed, warning the Japanese teen even thought it became unnecessary the moment his words left his lip, Hibari had already destroyed the fading illusion.

Tsuna turned away from Hibari and did a quick scan of the forest. He could still sense Mukuro nearby, so close that he felt the man's breath on him. Turning a 180, Tsuna was greeted with a smiling blue pineapple that was about to stab him with a trident.

Tsuna jumped back, before whipping out the shurikens he stolen from Reborn. Tossing them out of his hands, the five piece stars spun their way into the man's chest only to continue spinning at their top speed towards the other end of the forest.

Another illusion of Mukuro disappeared. The illusionist reappeared a second after Hibari swung his tonfas in the air, hitting the man on the shoulder. It was more from luck than a sixth sense or experience, but it was all it took for Chrome to send up a grove of thorns that grabbed at the prefect.

"Hibari!" Tsuna panicked, racing towards the thorn-wrapped delinquent. He stopped before reaching the teen. The air was thick with an uneasy pressure and his intuition was blaring for him to move away. Taking its advice as it have never lead him wrong before, Tsuna was able to dodge a sudden blast of fire that appeared from the ground where he had just stood.

"Kufufufu, as always, you are really something else, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Mukuro appeared from within the fire itself, walking with the grace of a noble panther. "Besides the Vendice, you are the only person in this world that's able to see through my illusion."

"What is it that you want, Mukuro?" Tsuna asked since his path to Hibari was still blocked by the flaming wall of Mukuro's illusionary fire, "Didn't you said that your job with me was done?"

"Kufufufu, yes, it is done, but this meeting is more of my personal visit, _Juudaime._" he said the last part in Gokudera's voice as he took upon the said boy's appearance.

Tsuna wanted to whip out his gun and shoot the man right then and there for making him face Gokudera, but he didn't since he knew that Mukuro was only trying to tease him with a very sick joke. He was still feeling really guilty for ignoring his silver haired friend, the teen had pulled out his kicked-puppy-dog-face again yesterday and seeing the teen before him now just swallow him in guilt.

"_I'm going to become your right-hand man and fulfill the duties you bestow upon me as your…"_Mukura mimicked before his appearance returned back to their original figure, "mist guardian." He chuckled in that strange laugh of his before flashing his hand for Tsuna to see the Vongola's mist ring on his middle right finger.

"How did you get that?" Tsuna questioned.

"From you of course, along with a very pleasing offer that I just couldn't refuse."

Tsuna was shocked, when did he make such an offer? He was sure he never saw the man again since that time at the shrine, but Mukuro had made it sound as if he had only just recently talked with the man. Then it hit him, Vuoto, his other side must have done something! Probably the night before yesterday, he knew that window was closed when he fell asleep!

"W-what did I promised you?" the words were pulled out of his mouth before Tsuna could even wrapped his mind around it.

Mukuro looked at him for a moment then decided to laugh in his face, "I knew there was something different about you that night. No worries, you only promised me that body of yours when you die and the freedom from the Vendice with the protection of Vongola's power and all I have to do was wear this ring and wait until you die."

Tsuna couldn't believe he would ever make such a deal with the devil, but then again Mukuro was a very weird and comforting devil to him for some unexplainable reasons.

"Oh…I almost forgot…" Mukuro toss a small item up into the air before it came flying down toward Tsuna's hands. "…as you ordered…the sky ring is delivered."

Looking down at the piece he caught, Tsuna wonder just how far ahead had his other half have been planning, for just as Mukuro had said, in his hand was the Vongola's sky ring.

"…and here old man." Mukuro called to Hibari as he sends another item into the air. The item sparked with the faint light, but Tsuna could tell it was a grayish metal object that he suspected was to be the cloud ring.

Chrome released the illusionary hold on the prefect as the ring came nearer. Hibari raised his hand out in reaction to catch the object before it hit him in the face. Sure, if Hibari had wanted he could have dodged from the tiny article, but after struggling in sharp, pointy rose's thorns his body temporary didn't want to move.

"Guess that's all for now." Mukuro waved a good bye, disappearing before Hibari's body started listening to him again. He was sure that blood-thirsty prefect would suddenly decide to challenge him to another boring duel as he had with the brunet.

Chrome walked off the moment he disappeared leaving Tsuna to an infuriated Hibari. The prefect seemed even more determined to land a hit on Tsuna than he did previously as if the short break they had only infused the older male to 'bite him to death'.

* * *

><p>"Chrome-chan, I can't stay for long." Mukuro told the crying girl in his arms. She had rushed at him the moment the two had gotten away from Hibari's bloodlust and Tsuna's unfortunate fate with the skylark.<p>

"But I've just found you!" Chrome whined, clutching his shirt even tighter. She was sure that if she let go, the man would disappear like the mist that he is.

He couldn't help but smile at the girl and not one of his sarcastic smile either, but a real one, "Don't worry. This time I promise to come back."

"Really?" she asked, her voice held doubt and she had good reasons to as well since he always left her behind. He knew that it made her sad and as much as it pained him to see his beloved Chrome cry, he still left her alone. But this time was different. This time he was sure that he had finally found a place, a place that was offered to him by the brunet that he couldn't help but trust.

"_I'm surprised you found me." Mukuro commented when the Tsuna walked onto the grassy hill leading downwards towards the river bank he was currently staying at._

"_Mukuro, I'm afraid I don't have time for your foolishness tonight." the voice was a new surprise to the blue haired man as it send even a chill down his spine._

"_Then what do you want?" he asked trying to buy some time as he tried to determine if the brunet was the same boy he had seen just a few weeks ago._

_The boy tossed him a small zip-lock bag and he just had to stare at the silver ring within the bag._

"_That is the Vongola's ring of the mist. The mist ring will be yours if you agree to the deal I'm about to make to you."_

"_I don't plan on joining the mafia." Mukuro growled, the tone of joking and playfulness gone from his voice._

"_You don't have to. You will be my mist guardian, but I don't expect anything from you except this first few favours. After that, the ring power is yours to use however you like."_

_Mukuro interest piped up, "So then, what are these favours you want from me?"_

"_First is to protect me from the Lillarosa Famiglia. You can do it in any way you like, but I must survive no matter what is to happen! But if you could…" Tsuna paused wondering if he should really ask the sly illusionist to do such an important task. Sighing as he realized that he had no other choice but to trust the man. "…deliver the sky ring to me and the cloud ring to Hibari Kyouya twos day from now."_

_Mukuro eyebrow raised a few centimeters, "Is there a reason?" why did he have to be a delivery boy for the kid, especially with an item that he had already own._

"_I probably won't be able to head home to get them myself on that day…just get the rings from a brown wooden box with the Vongola's crest and deliver them."_

"_Touché." Mukuro replied to the reason Tsuna was still hiding things from him. "…So anything else?"_

"_Just two...I want you to stay as my guardian even if it is only in name. And the final request I have is that you don't betray me. In exchange, I'll do everything in my power to protect you from the Vendice and even give you this body when I die."_

"_And what makes you think I need your protection or your body?" Mukuro asked hiding his shock at how close to home the boy had been hitting. How was it that a young boy like Tsunayoshi Sawada able to know his deepest wish when men twice his age could be so easily fooled by Mukuro's trickeries?_

"_You don't really need my protection, but I believe that you won't have the short end of the stick with that deal. I can give you the freedom that you wish for." Mukuro eyes widening was all Tsuna needed to confirm that he hit the correct buttons on the illusionist, "As for my body—it holds a hidden power that would protect you even after I die."_

_It was a very tempting trade indeed, but the boy was still asking him to taint his hands for the mafia…of course his hands aren't exactly clean of blood, but to kill for the brunet and only him._

"_You're already killing for a majority of the mafia world anyway even if you don't want to admit it. Work for me and I'll let you do pretty much anything you want except betraying me in any way."_

"_Oya?" a sudden suspicion got him interested, "What makes you think that I won't just take your body right now?"_

_Tsuna smirked, "Simple, you can't possess a person without their consent."_

"_But there are oth-" Mukuro was interrupted by the brunet's chuckles._

"…_other ways?" Tsuna laughed, "A person like you who had been avoiding the mafia for over eight years…I doubt you have the possession bullet. However, being my mist guardian would allow you the chance to get that forbidden item."_

_The brunet was indeed interesting enough; he was able to read his mind that held millions of defences against an intruder twice his age and with better skills. What's more, the boy had given him a way to get his revenge against the mafia. "I'll think about it." was all he answered but Tsuna's smile was all it took for him to see that he had lost the upper hand. When that happened, he wasn't sure, but that was all the more reason why he wanted to accept the deal._

"Really…I'll be back Chrome, so help me protect our little-mafia-boss, okay?"


	15. Desperate Flames

**Chapter 15: Desperate Flames**

"They're really not here!" Gokudera frowned. Scampering backward on all fours in order to stand next to the kotatsu he had been crawling under during his search for the three missing rings that had scatter when Lambo and Gokudera had play tug-o-war with the box. They had already found four of the seven rings, but three of them were still missing.

"Haru can't find it over here either." the brunette wiped away the sweats forming down her brow, "How about you Yamamoto-san?"

Yamamoto however was not paying them any attention. He was positioned against the wall next to the window, his face looking grim as he watch a group of men trying to hide behind walls and alleys of the buildings nearby, "It seems that we have company downstairs…the same ones who tripped me the other day." He lightly comments watching the men communicated with one another through wireless earphones.

Gokudera instantly focused his attention on the boy, "Are they wearing black or white?"

"White suits just like before…"

"Woman!" Gokudera shouted at Haru, "Go get the stupid cow. We've got to get out of here!"

"W-wha—" Haru never got to finish when Yamamoto landed a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head to tell her to not ask any question and to just follow the order. With a confused look on her face, Haru dejectedly rushed to her room where Lambo had probably fallen asleep.

Once it was just the two boys Yamamoto spoke up, "I think it best that I go deliver this ring to Ryohei-sempai," the two had decided shortly after reading the strange letter addressed to them that they should at least pass out the rings according to Tsuna's list. It had seem to be quite important and with a still slightly hesitating Gokudera, they handed out the storm, rain, and lightning rings to their respected candidates.

"You should take Haru and Lambo to a safe place." Yamamoto added as a plan formed in his mind.

Gokudera nodded as a similar plan formed itself within his own mind. It was easy to understand that the jock had wanted to act as the decoy allowing the other three to escape; although Gokudera found it cowardly and disgusting that the baseball-idiot wanted him to escape with the other two like some weakling, he could kind of see why it was better for the jock to be the one playing the bait. Yamamoto was after all, no matter if Gokudera wanted to admitted or not, was the faster of the two and was most likely able to escape with less harm.

"Juudaime will kill me if you get hurt, so don't." Gokudera growled at the jock just as Haru came back with Lambo still sleeping in her arms.

Yamamoto looked shock for a moment, this being the first time he had heard or saw Gokudera worried about another person beside Tsuna.

"I'll try my best." the only thing he could promise since he had seen the number of guards waiting to ambush them. A part of him wanted to lie like always and say that he'll be fine, but he could tell that Gokudera was not going to be happy if he had lied. In fact, he was sure that the boy would have taken the decoy job from him if he had been lying.

"We'll meet up at Namimori. I'm sure that Hibari-sempai will protect us even if we end up with a beating later." Yamamoto laughed; it was after all better to be injured than killed.

Gokudera just looked as if he wanted to argue, but luckily kept his mouth shut as Yamamoto exited the door.

* * *

><p>"Ack, uch~" Tsuna coughed as a natural response in according to his lungs demand of fresher air, and not the dust and grass filled oxygen he had inhaled when he scraped against the hard forest's floor. His body hurt all over, but Tsuna didn't have the luxury to lay down to rest. The only rest he would be getting could only be granted in two ways. One—to beat Hibari or two—to have Hibari kill him, neither were appearing to Tsuna.<p>

"ARRRRHH!" he had no choice but to scream from the sudden strike at his leg. He was sure that it must have cracked under the pressure of Hibari's tonfa. A curse escaped after his mind registered the pain as a level seven on his pain tolerant scale. Even so, it hurt like hell and Tsuna was reminded of the reason why he should never had turns his back to Hibari.

It was a foolish thought, to think that he could outrun the older male. He was totally wearied out after twenty hours (according to Tsuna's deduction from the sun's position) of constantly being chased by the prefect since yesterday evening. To make matters worse, his stomach was punishing him for not feeding it by stabbing his inside every few minutes.

He was going to die! He was going to die lying weak and hungry with dirt and bruises all over his body on the thick forest floor. Hibari will probably leave him laying there until he becomes a pile of unidentified skeleton or some wild animal will just eat him up. His mind became slow in his panic state. Tsuna took a peek back to see Hibari about to strike with the right tonfa, swinging it down at his shoulder or maybe it was his neck for a quicker ending.

Why was Hibari trying to kill him anyway? Tsuna didn't remember anything he did to anger the boy. His mind started wavering, a black darkness swirled against his vision. It was just another few seconds and the metal weapon would end his short fifteen years life—no…short four years life since he didn't want to count his fragmented childhood memories. He was so filled with regrets starting with his very annoying stomach which was growling even now when he was about to die.

_He regretted ignoring his two friends, how could he even think that they would ever betray him. Never mind his blaring intuition; he should have trusted Gokudera's loyalty and Yamamoto's amity._

His world was fading. Time moving too slow to his likings; the slow pace was allowing him to ponder on useless wishes.

_He should have joined Onii-san's boxing club; it would've been good training, maybe even allowing him to last longer against Hibari._

Hibari was only inches from landing the hit. He could see every movement; the black hairs flowing against Hibari's rosy cheek. The heated glares within those grayish orbs that looked excited from the challenge he got to experience. The wide grin of madness spread across his face. His long callous hands were clenching tightly to the two pieces weapons that were about to land. The flaring black coat of the disciplinary leader was flying backward from the real speed of the world outside Tsuna's vision.

_He never got to tell Kyoko and Haru how happy the two girls had made him feel, both were so kind and caring like the mother he saw in Nana. He still couldn't hate the woman, the only one in that mansion that kept his mind from breaking completely._

Darkness was all that his mind accepted. Tsuna cried at the irony of his speeding thoughts. Why was time moving so slowly? Why couldn't he just die without all these regretful thoughts?

_He failed in protecting both Lambo and Fuuta. The first two jobs he gotten after a year away from the mafia and he failed them both. He really had gotten weaken with the laid-back life he had been living for the past year._

His gloved hands got warmer and a flashing light could be seen from the corner of his eyes. It was an orange light that remind him of the dying will flame.

_He was being a pain to Reborn again. He wasn't able to save Reborn from Vincent._

Everything was disappearing to the darkness.

_He should have fought Hibari with his real strength when he got the chance…_

He was probably already dead since Hibari had gotten a lot closer when he last saw the prefect.

* * *

><p>He opened his eyes as his body awaken from its sudden shock. Yamamoto had found himself leaning against the outer fence of a small house as a stray bullet soar pass his eyes. He had offered to act the bait thinking that his speed alone would be enough to get him away from the group of men in suit, but they surprised him with their own agility and stamina.<p>

They had chased him the moment he stepped out of Tsuna's apartment door. Yamamoto had to jump down the second story landing just to dodge a bullet that blasted a hole on the wooden door. He could faintly hear Gokudera shouting that no one got hurt within the room, but couldn't stay to see for himself as another rain of gunshots fired at him. After that, he had been running on unused ground, sidestepping the main street, climbing fences and using familiar shortcuts, but Yamamoto still couldn't lose the trail he left behind. Those men continued to chase after him like those homing missiles he saw on action films.

_So these are professional hitmen. _It was a statement of envy and he hates himself more for it. Although often time friendly, Yamamoto got one hell of a competitive side that just hated to lose. The clasping of his fist earned a slight poke making him look down. The Vongola ring of the Rain was resting on his middle finger acted as a reminder of the trust he earned. A grin spread itself on his tanned face before Yamamoto rushed off again. _I won't let them beat me. I won't allow your fate in choosing me to be wrong._

But first he needed to get away from these men and then rush to find Sasagawa-sempai in order to pass on the sun ring. More flying bullets scraped his arms and legs. He ran even faster at the threat on his life; then one of the bullets hit a vital point on his feet and Yamamoto came to a crashing stop. It was bleeding, but luckily the bullet only scratched the outer ankle and not through the bone. Yet, it was too painful for him to overcome.

It was the worst case scenario he could find himself in; hurt to the point where he couldn't run, alone with seventeen enemies making their way toward him and he was weaponless. The only thing keeping his smile up is the fact that Gokudera and Tsuna were safe.

"Ahhhhhhh!" the sudden shriek dragged his head off the dirt road in order to see the source. His facade expression became shadowed by fears and terrors at seeing two very familiar faces.

* * *

><p>Gokudera promises to kill the baseball-baka if they both make it out alive. The decoy plan was a complete failure! He was standing between a group of ten or so mafioso with Haru and Lambo behind him. Yamamoto couldn't even get rid of all the men that were lingering around the Tenth's home and now he was stuck with having to protect the stupid woman and the noisy cow.<p>

Lambo had awakened during their escape and Gokudera being Gokudera started yelling at the said cow. Of course, Haru had to butt in, yelling at the bomber for scaring the five-year-old kid. If an outsider was to judge who is to blame, it would be all three, but to Gokudera it was all Lambo's fault. If only the cow had stayed asleep, then they wouldn't have made so much noise as to draw the attention of those assassins.

Gokudera was beyond his normal level of irritation and the only reason he didn't start attacking Lambo was thanks to the promise the bomber had made to Tsuna and the fact that he had other targets to work out his frustration upon.

Whipping out his hidden dynamites, Gokudera sparked them to life before sending them toward the crowded group of men. Like the professional that they were, each man was able to dodge with speed or strength as Gokudera was forced to rethink his plan.

A scream behind him made him looked away-a bad move to make with ten hitmen on the attack-but Haru was in danger as Lambo jumped off her arms. One of the men in white had sneaked behind him and was now holding Haru hostage. Lambo made his way toward his storm counterpart, tripping on the flat road on the way; a few of his pink generators flew out of his hair into the crowd of men charging at Gokudera. The latter was able to dodge the pink explosives upon seeing them, but those rushing men weren't so lucky being unable to turn away in time.

Gokudera stood in bewilderment; _did the stupid cow just saved him?_ It appeared that he did, for the silver haired boy was now watching the brat howling at the nicks he got from the ground while all those men behind him were on the ground howling in pain from the slight burns they received. Then with a soft "Gotta stay calm" and a reach into his afro, Lambo pulled out a purple bazooka with a string attached to the trigger.

Gokudera's bewilderment soon became fear when the stupid cow actually jumped into the enormously dangerous weapon and blasted it with the string from the inside. A large pink smokescreen surrounded the whole area and although Gokudera wanted to just stay frozen, he rushed forward to see if the cow had survived somehow.

The bazooka was gone when he reached the spot. His mind in panic at what his boss would do to him for being unable to protect the stupid brat that decided it was a great idea to blow himself up with a bazooka.

"Gokudera-nii, I got Haru." the chill out answer stopped the teen from falling to his knees. Looking at the source, he saw the same black hair boy he had met just a couple of days ago. He was still wearing cow prints undershirt with a black coat going over it. The boy was holding a shrieking Haru to his chest and the purple bazooka was on his shoulder.

Haru was yelling "pervert" and was pushing him away.

"That's mean Haru-nee," the cow prints teen whined, but he let go of the brunette, instead, he grabbed her arm and begun dragging the girl towards Gokudera.

"I see you got us into another fight." the boy lazily commented leaning on the opening of the bazooka. Gokudera want to tell the boy off for trying to act like he knew him, but before he could one of the men in white shouted a very surprising fact.

"The ten-years-bazooka, that kid must be the missing Bovino!"

_Ten-years-bazooka?_ Gokudera being born in a mafia family had heard rumours of such a bazooka before. A weapon that allowed a person to see into their future, but he never imagined that the actually meaning to be, 'seeing the future by switching place with their future self'.

_Future self! The boy beside him was the stupid cow future self?_ Gokudera couldn't help but notice all the differences between the two extremes. While the kid was loud and noisy and a real pain to deal with, the man before him was calm, mature, and dare he say it—cool. _Guess the kid mellowed with age..._

"Gokudera-nii!" his name being shout warned him of the pole that was swung at his head and he had to curse himself for thinking useless thoughts during a fight.

"Gokudera-nii!" the boy had shouted again but this time there was no oncoming attack. Gokudera send him a glare irritated that the boy had decided to 'cry wolf' at a time like this.

"WHAT?"

"Did Tsuna-nii passed out the Vongola rings yet?" he asked in a calm voice that just irritated Gokudera all the more.

"Of course! Juudaime already passed them out!" he couldn't help but clutched his own storm ring that was on his finger.

"Then where's mine?" Lambo casually asked, flashing his hand at the other teen.

"Is this really the time to be talking about rings?" Haru couldn't help but screech when three of the men started walking closer. They were being careful of Gokudera's dynamites and Lambo's air of confident so their pace was slow in their attempt to close the distance. The three men were being more cautious with Lambo since the teen was a total mystery to them.

Lambo ignored Haru, "I want the Lightning ring!" he whined to Gokudera.

"Now?" the bomber wasn't sure if he was asking because the brat had wanted the ring during a fight or because he had started to sound like his whining younger self.

"Yes, now. I only got about three minutes left, so hand it over!" panic could be detected in his tone and those men seem to catch it as well for they had begun rushing forward once more.

Gokudera didn't have time to think and trusting Tsuna's decision-the list he wasn't supposed to read-the silver hair teen tosses the extra ring in his pocket at the wavy haired man.

Lambo caught it with ease, a smile on his face, "Let me show you how to use the Vongola ring…" he reached into his coat to pull out a tatter looking green cube, "this isn't Tsuna's present, but it's also one of my favourite box, "Lama di Fulmini". The long blade look rusted and chipped, but Lambo just smile at the group. "I'll show you the power of the Vongola's ring…" he grinned at Gokudera before taking a stance similar to a matador taunting the wild bulls or in this case the men dashing forward.

It was quick, but Gokudera saw it. One moment, the men were sending down wave of attacks, the next they were being blocked by Lambo's sword. The broken sword that looked like it could break with the gentlest touch was sturdier than it look.

"The power of lightning flame…" Lambo explained as the once invisible green sparks appeared wrapping around the blade, "hold the power to harden any substances, even a lousy gift from Gokudera-nii." Lambo laughed at the surprised look on Gokudera's face. Just the reaction he was looking for since he decided to use that particular box weapon.

It was sort of a revenge for Lambo. Gokudera had gifted that sword to him only because the Tenth had given each guardian a special Vongola's box and being the right-hand man that he claimed, Gokudera also decided to give them each a gift. Very lousy and useless gift, but it was a gift each of them like to prove him wrong on the items usefulness just to spite him.

"Gokudera-nii, your flame is storm, the power to disintegrate so even without an actual weapon; you can destroy anything with a strong storm flame. You can summon a flame wit-" Lambo tried to explain but was cut off when the five-minutes time limit expiries and he was replace within the pink smoke with a younger Lambo.

"Wait, you can't just leave without telling me the most important part!" Gokudera screamed at the poor unsuspecting Lambo which only caused the kid to go into a crying spree.

* * *

><p>Yamamoto couldn't believe his luck as he leaned against the wall, Kyoko by his side as a support for his limping leg. After all, who would have expected him to fall on the backstreet directly behind the house of the person he was looking for? It was a one in a thousand chances even if the town he live in was relatively smaller than most, but he drew it anyway, the lucky ticket to survival.<p>

"Are you alright, Yamamoto-kun?" Kyoko was worried when Yamamoto's laughed at his incredible luck.

"Yea, sorry…" he smiled only to drops it seconds later. Ryohei was now fighting with the group of fifteen men, all incredibly strong with only his fits. Kyoko had wanted him to stop, but knowing that asking that would only get her brother hurt, she kept quite. She didn't want her brother to fight but she also didn't want a classmate to die.

"Kyoko-chan, can you take me back to Sasagawa-sempai?" He knew that the girl was worried about her brother and wanted to see him, but she was kind to the point that she wouldn't leave an injured person alone. Besides, Yamamoto still hadn't gotten the chance to pass on Tsuna's present, the sun Vongola ring, to the boxer. His gut was telling him it was important to pass it on during the fight instead of after and Yamamoto always followed his gut.

Meanwhile, Ryohei was wearing down. He had managed to send at least six of them to meet the pavement with surprising punches and their overconfident against a kid. The eleven that were left were not as reckless and was moving with more caution around him. A single punch was countered with gun fires and dangerous kicks. The kicks were easy to dodge, but bullets were a new experience as he got shots no less than eight times already. There might be more, but Ryohei wasn't counting, wounds can heal, but if he stops to count he was sure he would die.

"Sempai!" Yamamoto warned him of a strike from behind that he duck under before sending an uppercut into the man's chin. Seven down, ten more men to go, but Ryohei was wavering on his feet from exhaustion.

"Onii-san!" Kyoko's voice reminded him of a promise as he stood firmly on his feet. He promised her once when they were both younger that he would not make her cry. It was replacement promise to the one she demanded from him to stop fighting. As a man, he had told her that there will be times that he couldn't stop fighting if he wanted to protect his precious people, and this was one of those times. The worries he could hear within her voice was the warning sign to her tears and that was a promise he couldn't allow to be broken.

"Sempai!" Yamamoto called to him as he caught sight of a flash of light in the air. Instinct told him to catch and so he extended his hand to grab the small metal object.

"A ring?" for once his confusion overpowered his voice as he stared first at the blue-ish metal before looking back at the jock.

"It's from Tsuna." the only thing he needed to know as he slipped on the ring. If it was a gift from Tsuna, he would wear it no matter what, even if he didn't quite understand the reason. The moment the piece of metal slide onto his finger, a sense of warmth crawl it way into his hand. It was almost as if all of his strength was gathering into his right fist with his ring as their destination.

Without thinking much more on the why's and how's, Ryohei did the first thing that came to mind; he send an extreme punch in the direction of the ten men. His hand glowing bright with a yellow fire that didn't burn, his mind and body felt over flooded with a strong sense of victory. The air seemed to pulse, echoing an invisible shock-wave that sent those men into the air before gravity finished the work for him by pulling those same men back down with heavy slams.

Ryohei didn't know what had happened, nor did he care as he rushed to make sure that his little sister was okay. Yamamoto was shocked, but once his mind registered that they were safe, his body shut down for its long awaited rest. Kyoko just watched with a worried frown at the destroyed street and a pile of unconscious men around her home. _How was she going to report this to the police…and her parents?_

* * *

><p>Gokudera's list of people to kill had just gone up by another name, Lambo Bovino. <em>How could that stupid brat leave without a warning like that? How could he not tell him the most important part in using the fla—wait flame? Could it have been the same kind of flame as Juudaime? <em>Gokudera ducked onto the ground pushing with him Haru and Lambo as a whistling bullet flew over their heads.

He need time to remember how the Tenth had summoned those orange flames. Fuuta had said something that night, but at the moment his mind was blank, focusing only on the present situation.

"H-hey, woman" he looked down at Haru under him, "You wouldn't happen to remember what Fuuta said about dying will flame do you?

Haru look outraged, "Why are you worrying about that at a time like this?"

"It's because it a _time like this_ that I'm asking! Fuuta telling us about the top three ways to light a dying will flame, but since Juudaime already left the room, I wasn't paying him much attention."

"I don't know either!" Haru spat at the silver head boy in anger. She was mad at the teen for ordering her about as well as in Fuuta's place for the disrespect Gokudera had shown the boy.

"It may be our only chance of survival!" Gokudera really regret his lack of attention to anything not related to the Tenth. He should have paid the ranking prince more attention, but a part of him was angry at the boy for disappearing during their time of need.

A sudden explosion blew behind them, but with their bodies already low on the ground, Gokudera, Haru, and Lambo survived the sharp gust of wind that wiped out the group of mafioso that had been chasing them.

From his position on the ground, Gokudera could still hear the sound of three gruff voices most likely the smart or strong ones from the group having survived the blast. The men, however, weren't paying attention to them, probably believing them to be dead from the blast.

Gokudera took the chance of looking up only to freeze. He watched as two young kids around Lambo's age hopping from one man to the next, sending kicks and punches that knock them out. Both were skilled fighters and Gokudera couldn't help but envy one of the kid as he lid a red fire dragon that burned the remaining men.

Relief seemed to wash over him as the final man fell. Gokudera mirrored the man's action as darkness claimed him into their world. The only thought still floating in his head as his body dropped against Haru and Lambo—_who were those kids?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First of all I would just like to thanks all of you who are still reading my story and to those who took their time review the story. I know I don't really replies to all the reviews, but they are greatly appreciated! Thank you for all your support! <strong>

**Also I would like to take this moment to give a special thanks to Nekokratik who had been all her help with beta-ing my story. **

**Now, just a small warning since I will be adding OCs in my next few chapters that might effect the story greatly. So far I had been trying to keep my OCs in minor roles with the exception of Vincent and Sergio since they are the main villain in my story, but I just couldn't help myself. This will slow down the plot a little, but I think it's interesting enough to make up for making all those readers out there that are waiting for the climax of the story. (The plot will still be mention within these chapters, just with a lot of randomness fillers scenes added) Thanks for your understanding and I hope you'll enjoyed the next few chapters.**


	16. Hospital Dates

**Special Thanks: To all you readers out there and an extra thanks to those who reviews! Let also not forget to thanks **Nekokratik **for beta-ing my work again!**

**Nothing important, but a friend of mine pointed out a small detail I seem to have overlook. She told me Ryohei recovered too fast for a guy who just went into surgery after getting a gunshot wound and counting back the days within the fic, I realized that it was true. He only stayed in the hospital for about two days before release! OoO **

**Luckily this is just a fic so I have the power to make Ryohei healed faster. Just imagine it to be a trait of the sun flame welder to recover faster than the normal and overlook this small mistake. **

**I know you don't want to hear my rambling anymore so here is chapter 16. Hope you enjoy my new OCs! ^_^**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Hospital Dates<strong>

White, it had always been a color Tsuna hated the most. It was a color that gets tainted so easily by other colors. Especially by the shade of red—wine, tomato juice and blood always were the hardest to get off from white—blood being the substance he most often had to wash away. Pink blots would always remain, turning light brown overtime, yet still there as a reminder of his crimes.

That's why when Tsuna awoke to the whiteness of the ceiling, he only closed his eyes again. Hoping that sleep would come and make him forget all the crimes he had committed.

But as if the gods had cursed him; his mind started to clear, his sight focused, his hearing sharpened, his touch solidified, and a strong smell washed over him. It was the sudden smell of antiseptics that cause his body to go into shock as it jumped to life on the cold mattress he had been laying on.

One of the two tint-glass window was opened not far from his bed. Monitors, hooks and lamps hanged around him in reaching distance, yet high above his head. To his right was a small bedside cabin, upon it sat a tray of several glasses and a pitcher of water. On the other side stood a tall hook-stand that he recognized as an IV stand if he remembered correctly. Nearer the door way, a curtain was neatly tied up.

Beyond the green screen, Tsuna saw another bed, similar to the one he was on. Four posts, high above the ground, with head-board on both sides. Machinery and railing could be seen under the bed with buttons and cords tangling around underneath.

By now, Tsuna was sure he was in a hospital, but why and how he got there was still unclear.

_Knock, knock…_

The sounds against the door made Tsuna tense as he scrambled off the bed. His left leg shot pain throughout his body as Tsuna struggled to remain on his feet. He blocked out his emotions and allowed his mind to forget the injured leg.

Reaching around his body, he noticed for the first time that he was no longer wearing his Namimori coat. His white undershirt was still there but his yellow coat had been removed along with all his weapons. All he had left were the pair of gloves and the clothes he was wearing, which were much tattered than he last remembered.

Then the door opened and Tsuna had to hold back the punch he was about to send into the face one very confused doctor. With raven hair and steel grey eyes, Tsuna called out a shocking name that he was sure couldn't be the right name.

"Hibari?"

The man's face softened at the name and he gave Tsuna a smile that would never be seen at all on the Disciplinary leader's face.

"Not exactly the one that you know." True to his words, the man's voice was gentle, but a pitch deeper than the Nami-chuu prefect. The man took advantage of Tsuna's shock to steer the brunet back towards the bed, making sure Tsuna didn't put any pressure on his leg, "My name is Hibari Ikuto, Kyouya's older brother."

Tsuna fell on the bed without the help from the older man. _Hibari had an older brother?_ Seeing how anti-sociable the teen was, he would have never _ever_ guessed that the boy to have an older brother, especially one that seemed so friendly. The man was still smiling when he told Tsuna to "take it easy and rest for the day."

But now that he knew the man was Hibari's brother, Tsuna remembered the fight. He remembered dying on the forest's floor.

"How did I survived?" It wasn't supposed to be said out aloud, but Tsuna's mouth betrayed him and Ikuto had heard it.

He smiled at the brunet and for a moment Tsuna wondered if maybe Ikuto was really Yamamoto's older brother instead of Hibari. The man sure loved to smile and with his gentle and friendly voice, Tsuna was sure the man never gotten into a fight in his life. Definitely not like the Hibari he knows at all.

"Kyouya brought you in." he looked excited for some reason, or maybe it was pride, "I never thought I'd see the day that Kyouya would go out of his way to bring in a patient himself. Usually that boy would just call the hospital to pick up his victims."

Tsuna paled a few shades at the casualness of the man's tone in talking about his brother's victims. His face paled even more when fragments of memories he was sure was not entirely his own assaulted his mind.

* * *

><p><em>Beaten on the ground, Tsuna struggled to get away from Hibari, but failed. His leg was hit by one of the tonfa and Hibari was about to strike again. He watched in horror as the piece of metal neared his face.<em>

He's going to die! _Tsuna thoughts turned to his deepest wishes, a last wish or wishes before death took its toll. He was thinking of all the things he regretted when a warm light glowed upon his gloved hands. Then…then Vuoto had appeared when Tsuna had blacked-out._

_Vuoto rolled away just in time for the tonfa to deal a crushing blow onto the forest's floor. A smirk materialized upon his face as he tumbled onto his knee._

"_I see that you decided to accept my deal." The brunet chuckled. Hibari widened his eyes, the boy had changed again. "How did you enjoy the fight so far?" Tsuna asked in that playful tone._

"_Pathetic." was the single word Hibari gave him before striking Tsuna on the head._

_Again the brunet dodged with ease, not moving from the spot he was kneeling at. The smile never disappeared, almost as if he never had gotten hurt moments before._

"_Really~?"the brunet teased knowing that even though Tsuna had been dodging most of the time, Hibari had felt excitement from the rush of the chase._

_Hibari growled and narrowed eyes, those were all the evidences he needed to tease the skylark further; "Then why did you continue the fight?" and to prove his point, Tsuna grabbed hold of the kick that was send flying toward his stomach._

_His hand instantly lit up in a bright orange flame. Hibari jumped away at the sight, but when he looked down to check his injured leg, he saw none. Thinking back, he didn't even feel any heat from the flaming touch._

_Tsuna was smiling, holding his flaming hands lazily at his eye's level before looking back at Hibari. "Interested?"_

_Hibari was indeed interested at the strange flame that seemed to burn so fiercely yet produced no heat whatsoever. But it was still a useless flame if it did no damage, so Hibari decided to attack the brunet as an answer instead._

_He became frozen with shock when Tsuna disappeared from the place he stroke. Quickly looking around the forest, he couldn't help but send a grumbling string of curses which he promised to punish himself for at a later time. A disciplinary committee member shouldn't be cursing, but for the moment, he needed to locate the brunet._

"_Too slow." Tsuna's voice sounded behind him and Hibari was send to the ground with a back crushing knee-kick._

_He was able to push himself back onto his feet before meeting the ground completely, but it was the first real strike from the brunet that he had received. His excitement rose to another level as Hibari turned to face the shorter boy._

_Tsuna was still smiling that cocky smile that just irritated skylark to no end. He really wanted to kill the boy even more now than when the brunet was running away. He charged at Tsuna with the intent to kill, using his max speed and strength, not taking a single chance to allow the boy to live another moment._

_Tsuna surprised him with another disappearing act, but this time Hibari caught how he did it. Those flames on his gloved hands were being used as a booster, sending the boy away at amazing speed, but it was slowly becoming easier to see each time Tsuna stopped to hit him with those flames. He couldn't use it for attack and speed at the same time. Hibari smirked at the weakness he found._

_Tsuna proved him wrong, however, when he tried to hit the boy with a tonfa during the short pause in speed. The brunet countered with a heated blast of his flame that allowed him to back away while Hibari suffered a first-degree burn. He didn't feel it at first, but the pain slowly took hold of his mind and he couldn't help but flinched away from Tsuna; furthering the distance between the two._

"_Sorry Hibari-sempai~" Tsuna didn't sounded very sorry at all._

I definitely preferred the herbivore-version. _Hibari growled at the admittance he had to make because of the boy._

_Tsuna just laughed as if he had read his mind just like the last time they met, which only made Hibari more irritated. He charged at Tsuna, this time he manage to land a blow, but as if he was wearing an armor, Tsuna didn't even seem fazed by the hard hit of the steel pole._

"_Want to know how I'm doing that?" Tsuna laughed before giving his right hand a stare as if telling Hibari a secret that should be easy to figure out. Hibari only sent him another death glare after seeing nothing out of the ordinary. It was just his flaming hand with that weird black glove and the metal ring the illusionist gave them._

"_It's the ring that allow me to use the flame..." Tsuna stated when Hibari still didn't seem to comprehend his action, "…and it's the flame that protects me from your strikes. Want to learn it?"_

_Hibari's mind became totally blank. He just stared at Tsuna until a single question appeared, "Why?"_

"_You can get much stronger than you are now..." The playful side of Tsuna was serious for once and so Hibari allowed the brunet to continue his explanation,"…and I'm going to need you to get stronger. There is just something that has been bothering me since the moment my other self accepted the title of Decimo."_

"_In other words, you need help from me?" Hibari was angry at the way Tsuna was begging him for help when the boy was the only one he saw worthy as his rival. Tsuna just nodded with a deject air around him._

"_I'm weak, my time is always limited and my other self is too kind to actually attack. You should know this better than anyone having chased him since yesterday." Tsuna cool and calm voice was back as his face became emotionless, "I need outside help that I can count on. You don't need to do anything you don't want to. All I expect from you is to fight like you did today and draw my other self's attention away from the troubles he's facing."_

_Hibari felt used. This guy had manipulated him into doing just as he wanted from their very first meeting. Yet he still didn't feel as if he had done as the boy's request. Why was he feeling like that when he __**knew **__that he was being used? The thought only confused him the more he tried to think about it._

_Tsuna was smiling again, "Hibari-sempai, I'll expect a positive answer the next we meet…" the boy was wavering on his feet, "so until next time…" he dropped himself slowly to the ground to sit on the forest's floor, "…keep that ring on you…"_

_Tsuna blackout once again unaware that Hibari caught him just before his head actually hit the hard ground. "I'll think about it…" was all Hibari said before lifting the boy up into his arms, carrying him off to a place that he could rest up for their next fight._

_The way he saw it, the herbivore owed him a rematch for the carnivore's interference. He was going to look forward to their next match; at the least this one will be by his own will and not that carnivore's trickery._

Meanwhile, Tsuna was shaking from the sudden flood of memories. _How could Vuoto have treated Hibari like that?_He could only imagine the next time he saw Hibari again. The man was going to **MURDER **him!

"You okay kid?" the gentle voice of Ikuto asked seeing the paleness on the boy's face.

"I-I'm okay…_for now" _Tsuna kept the last part to himself as he saw flashing images of Hibari slashing away at him as he cried out in pain in the middle of nowhere. _Vuoto you idiot!_

"Then can you answer a few of my question?" Ikuto asked, "You see, Kyouya just dropped you off without telling me anything about you and I'll need at least your name so that I can register you into the hospital's database as well as to contact your family."

Tsuna looked surprised, "S-s-sorry. My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi." he paused for a moment before deciding that it would be better that Gokudera and Haru didn't know that he been admitted to a hospital, "I-I d-don't th-think anyone is home."

Ikuto nodded letting the question slide since the boy must have his reason. "Okay." Ikuto said as he moves toward the door, but before he could take even more than a step he caught hold of a strange sound.

"Did you hear that?" Ikuto looked around the room before landing his sight on Tsuna who was blushing as he held on to his stomach. Then he laughs at the answer to his mysterious sound, "Are you hungry Sawada-san?"

Tsuna nodded, his face redder than before, "Hibari-sempai didn't give me any time to eat…" he mumbled but Ikuto had heard it anyway.

"What were the two of you doing that you didn't eat?" it was just simple curiosity but Tsuna couldn't help but felt a bit guilty when he remember Vuoto's actions after he fainted. It seemed that it was Vuoto's doings which lead to Hibari's chasing him. Now that he looked back, he was grateful that Hibari had challenged him. Otherwise, he would be in Vincent's hands right about now and never got the chance to see his friends again.

Seeing that Tsuna didn't want to answer, Ikuto decided not to push the subject as he once again made his way towards the door. Looking back before he left, Ikuto gave Tsuna a gentle smile that just seemed wrong on Hibari's (the younger skylark Hibari) face, "I'll tell a nurse to bring you something to eat, so for now just rest, Sawada-san."

Tsuna nodded after a quick reminder that Ikuto may look similar to Hibari, but they were not the same person. He lay back in bed, feeling calmer than he remembered being since the day he saw Reborn again. Ever since his tutor arrived, it was like one event followed another without allowing him any time to rest. At least he could thank Hibari for this, allowing him some time to rest.

* * *

><p>Ikuto felt uneasy as he dropped the smile on his face after shutting the door to Tsuna's room. There was just something about that boy that he just hates. Maybe it was because his little brother had done something totally uncharacteristic by bring the boy in himself.<p>

Kyouya would never go out of his way to help anyone. The boy had been like that since he was young and he should know it better than anyone having to ask Kyouya for favors since they were both young only to be denied time and time again.

Magically a handkerchief appears out of nowhere as he bit on it in tears,_ who does that boy think he is to order Kyouya around?_

"Hibari-sensei!" the call from a running nurse pushed his question to the back of his mind as he straightened up. "Hibari-sensei, we got an emergency on hand! A call just came in saying that over thirty injured people are being transported here!" the girl cried in a panic.

Ikuto couldn't blame her for the slight panic, he was panicking inside as well, "Why are they all being transport to our hospital? What about the others?"

"This was the closest one and I heard that because most of the injured suffer from burns injuries!"

"Burns? An explosion in Namimori?"

"Seems like it." was the final reply before the nurse handed him a list of names belonging to those patients about to arrive.

* * *

><p>Ikuto leaned back on the cushioned leather couch. The coolness of the bench he was on was relaxing on his tired back after that big emergency rush. He had been running around hospital room after hospital room and each of them was packed full of injured and unconscious men.<p>

A total of thirty-two patients all badly burned or suffering serious injuries. Of the thirty-two, four males and one girl suffered the least and one of them was a little kid. How they all survived or even how they got hurt was a mystery when he realized that it wasn't really from a explosion as he first deduced. Then there was the question of why the two groups seemed to know the other.

He got the feeling that Masahiro was going to find out. He wasn't wrong when the a fore mentioned man broke into his office door.

"I need to question your patients, who are awake right now?" Masahiro demanded. Hibari Masahiro is the second son of the Hibari's family. At the young age of 26 he had made his way into the police force Criminal Investigation Bureau as an inspector.

"Come on, Ikuto, tell me which of those rascals are able to answer my inquiry!" Masahiro demanded again when Ikuto pushed himself off the couch to face his older brother.

"None of them are ready for your questioning!" Ikuto scowled. Partly angry at his interrupted rest while another part at Masahiro's messy appearance. While Ikuto prided himself as a son of a well breed family, Masahiro had always been of a different mind frame. The older man hated the restricting rules set by his family, evening going so far as to run away from home.

"Don't say that," Masahiro whined, "I need to question them before Aoi from the Security Bureau steals the case from me!"

Ikuto grumbled a few curses under his breath as he determined the pros and cons of his decision. On one hand, Aoi Fujimoto had been a childhood friend and having him steal the case from Masahiro was just fine with him. On the other hand, Masahiro was still his older brother and a main rule of the Hibari's household is to support your family over all else.

"The four kids in room 608 are probably the only ones that awake right now." he scowled at his own feeling of jealousy towards Masahiro's freedom from their family's regulations. The man even had the gut to laugh his way out of the room just to annoy him further.

Ikuto was about to land on the couch again, when another visitor appeared at the still open door that Masahiro left open.

The black hair man at the doorway marched into the room before Ikuto could say otherwise and he was followed in by a man with short crop of red hair. Both men held themselves with a grace of royalties, but Ikuto couldn't help but notice the red hair man darker aura as the two greet him.

"My name is Vincent Contiello and he is Sergio. We want to make a deal with you…"

Ikuto was about to refuse the offer since he was still suspicious of the two men, yet Vincent's next words prevent him from answering right away.

"…it concerns your little brother, Kyouya Hibari and Tsunayoshi Sawada…"

* * *

><p><em>Something is wrong<em>, Tsuna thought when his stomach sounded again. He had been waiting for more than four hours since Ikuto had left with promise to send food his way, but none came.

_Boom_…_crash_…and a bunch of random noises cause Tsuna to tense up as he searched his room. There was nothing, but he could still hear the sounds. Another _crash _and Tsuna actually felt the vibration from the aftershock. He turned around to stare at the wall behind his bed when yet another vibration shook his bed. His intuition was screaming for him to run, but Tsuna could barely move with his injured leg and tired body.

Then the bad became worst as the wall behind him blasted outward. The rubbles flying everywhere, a couple heavier rocks that couldn't fly landed on him, crushing him even farther than he already was. Poor Tsuna was buried under the rocks while the four residents of the next room over continued screaming and yelling. He flared in anger, a dangerous fire glowing brighter by the second on the four unsuspected fools.

But compared to how slow his fire had grown, the fire was wash away in an instant like a candle fire against a tidal wave; the tidal wave being the all so familiar voices from the next room over.

"Stupid, now they're really going to kick us out of the hospital!"

"Waaaa! It's not my fault! Waaa!"

"Ma ma, everyone…"

"You should extremely stop picking on the kid!"

Turning very, _very _slowly, Tsuna's neck creaked like a rusted robot. He wanted to stop, but knowing that if he did, he was going to be unable to continue, so holding his breath, he faced his neighbouring roommates. Tsuna couldn't hide the small smile that creep onto his face as his sight recognized the four males in the next room over.

Yamamoto being the first to sense the staring Tsuna, turns with a bewilder expression as his onyx orbs landed on the brunet.

"Tsuna?" his voice carried over the shouting of his two classmates and the crying kid. All three males turned at the name with their own shock and questioning stares.

Lambo was the first to recover or first to jump through the hole in the wall caused by his generate and tackle Tsuna with a wailing blame that everything that happened was Gokudera's fault for picking on him.

The brunet coughed at the impact as he released the breath he didn't even know that he was still holding. At his coughs, Gokudera also recovered enough to jump through the hole after Lambo as he knelt before his beloved boss.

"It all the stupid cow's fault for whining about his dumb candies!" Gokudera defended himself before realizing that his boss was cover in bandages, "Why are you here, Juudaime?"

Tsuna tensed at the worried expression on Gokudera's face, "I was just…out…training." Tsuna lied for he know that if the truth was told, his silver haired friend would want to hunt down the committee leader for revenge. He also knew that if the two were to fight, Gokudera would be the one 'bitten to the death' and he really didn't wish that fate on anyone having lived through it for the last twenty-four hours or so. No one should have to deal with that monstrous fighting machine.

"Juudaime?" Gokudera could tell that his boss was lying and while part of him want to know the truth, a bigger part was just glad that Tsuna was still alive and here.

"What are the four of you doing here?" Tsuna changed the topic before any of the other two males decided to ask. He carried Lambo off his chest and positioned the little boy on the floor as he made his way out of the fallen rubbles. Gokudera was by his side tossing off rocks without care for the furnishings of the room.

One of the larger rocks he tossed away flew toward the door when a man was passing by. Tsuna shouted an unnecessary warning when the man dodged the flying rock with ease. His sharp steel eyes growled at Gokudera for the danger to his life as he marched into the room.

"That was a dangerous thing to do! I could charge you for attempted assault on an officer for that throw!"

Gokudera returned the glare with his owns, "I'll like to see you try! Don't think that you're the only one knowing the laws. I know my rights as well! That was an accident so there is nothing you can do to me." he smirked, secretly glad that he took Shamal advise to study up laws in his spared times. He was not going to let some cop show him up in front of his boss.

"Fine!" the black hair detective suddenly smile, "But I can still charge you for damaging private property." he pointed at the large hole between the two rooms.

"Not my problem." Gokudera snuffed, a smirk of his own appeared on his face. He picked Lambo off the ground in the process and toss the kid into the officer's arms, "Here is your culprit."

Gokudera wasn't even trying to hide the huge smile when Lambo started crying, wetting the coat the officer was wearing.

"I'm sorry!" Tsuna suddenly grabbed Lambo back from the man, "Lambo was just playing around, he didn't meant to break anything. I'll pay for the damages, so please just let it go!"

The smile dropped from Gokudera's face at Tsuna's pleads. He had thought that his boss would be happy to lose the troublesome cow, but Tsuna seemed to have care for the kid more than he thought.

Masahiro sighed, "The kid really was the one who destroyed the wall?" he asked still a bit sceptical about the facts.

Tsuna nodded, "I'm sorry, I was supposed to watch him, but…"

"That not your fault Juudaime!" Gokudera interrupted, "You were out training, so I was supposed to watched him in your stead and yet I failed you!"

"Maa, maa, I got a hand in watching him, too." Yamamoto added when Ryohei helped him through the hole.

"We were all in the same room, so we should all be extremely responsible!" Ryohei almost dropped Yamamoto during his scream, but the jock was able to steady himself against the unbroken part of the wall.

"So the three of you were all in the next room over?" Masahiro asked pointing at the hole.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gokudera demanded.

"If I remember correctly, room 606 is just a room over from 608." Masahiro was smiling as if he had solved a really tough mystery. Then like the detective he was, he pointed at Gokudera and declared, "You are the mastermind behind the two gang fights that send over thirty people into the hospital!"

If Tsuna was drinking anything at that moment, he would have no doubt to have spit out on the detective face for that outrageous statement.

"Gokudera would never do that!" Tsuna declared instead. "Gokudera may be a delinquent and act rashly at times, but he is not the sort of person who would start a fight!"

Masahiro backed away from Tsuna in shock as he rubbed the back of his head in nervousness. He didn't understand why, but the brunet was making him nervous for various reasons. "Sorry, I didn't mean what I just said … It was only out of habits around rascal like him."

As for Gokudera, he didn't know how to react to his boss' statement. A part of him was happy that his boss would believe in him so much, but the other part was crying at how Tsuna had labelled him a delinquent.

Yamamoto's laughter broke through a growing silence, "Gokudera was indeed involved, but we were only trying to protect Haru and Lambo as Tsuna requested."

Tsuna, for his part looked surprised since he never remembered asking them to watch the two. Not that he wasn't glad for it, but it was still strange. He made a mental note to ask Yamamoto later about this _request_. For now he was just going to play along.

"How is Haru by the way?" Tsuna asked noticing that the girl was not with them.

As if her name was a summoning spell, the brunette appeared at the doorway with a joyful "Hahi!" before she tackled Tsuna's ill-treated body, "Tsuna-san was worried about Haru? Haru is so happy!"

With a painful smile, Tsuna peeled the girl off his physique. "H-H-Haru, p-please let go…" Tsuna made sure his tone wasn't too offending to the girl as he noticed a group of people entering his room.

Kyoko was the next to enter after Haru as she rushed over to care for her older brother. Ryohei gave her a large smile and flexed his bandaged arms to show her that he was alright. Fuuta was then followed in by two younger kids. While both of them had braided black hair, one of them strangely reminded Tsuna of Hibari and he couldn't help but flinch away from the boy. For some reason, Masahiro had also flinched away from the sight.

The other one had slanted eyes and an egg-shaped head with the braided ponytail hanging from the very middle like a palm tree. Tsuna could somehow tell that this one was a girl, maybe with her larger pink cheek or her soft accented voice, but his mind had labelled the egg-head baby a girl despite her boyish appearance. Both were wearing red traditional Chinese attires of different shades but what caught Tsuna attention the most was the boy's pacifier, which was very identical to that of Reborn's, only different in its color.

"I am glad to see you well, Sawada-san." the boy's voice was strangely mature and familiar. But Tsuna was sure he never saw the boy before. Although, his intuition had disagreed with him on this matter, he brushed it off.

"Thanks, hmm? Who are you again?" Tsuna decided to just ask his question straight out, which for some reason surprised Gokudera and Fuuta into jumping before his face.

"Juudaime?"

"Tsuna-nii?"

Both males were rambling at the same time and it was too fast for Tsuna's mind to catch a word of their shouting. Neither did any of the other occupants of the room understand them. Tsuna however, did caught one phrase from Fuuta that he was sure must have been a mistake in his hearing as he asked the two to slow down and explained again.

"You've send me to asked for his help!" Fuuta explained, "Then I ranked Fon as the best to help out Gokudera-nii since they both use storm flames and you even told me where to find him! How can you not know him? Did I make a mistake?" he was flipping through his ranking book to see if he had written something that was incorrect.

Fon gentle hand on the blonde boy stopped him, "There is nothing for you to worry about. This is only because it wasn't really Sawada-san who had asked you directly." Fon had then turned to face Tsuna with a gentle smile, "It seemed you have found a very tricky guard, Sawada-san."

Tsuna didn't need him to explain another word; the only one he knew to fit that description and was currently able to move about was Mukuro. The man must have taken his form and fooled Fuuta into seeking out _Fon_. The name was another familiar but he couldn't remember where he had heard of it before.

"However, I must insist that you inform me of your knowledge on my identity?" Fon question was directed to Tsuna. "I refuse to believe that you would learn of my name from Reborn-san…" there was a short pause as he watched Tsuna struggle for an answer, "Never mind, how you learn of it is no longer important since it is in the past. However, seeing the situation you are in, I'll assume that you would required some time off from work."

The statement sparked a light of understanding within Tsuna as he pointed a shaking finger at the baby, "Boss! From Akai Kaze!" He could hear the 'Ha-hi' from Haru in the background, telling him that she was just as surprised as he was that they had been working for a baby…no, now he was sure about the relationship of his boss and Reborn, Tsuna finally remember where he had heard the name Fon before.

Fon was also one of the strongest known babies—an Arcobaleno; rumors of being the greatest master of kempo martial arts. Many had named him the silence storm, a dangerous storm that passed by so fast and quietly that you wouldn't know you were hit until the storm had passed. Someone who was on par with Reborn in speed and power.

"I see…"

Fon smiled at him for finally understanding, "Sawada-san, this here is my top apprentice, I-pin." the egg-shaped kid bowed at the introduction of her name, "She is still studying, but her talent's growth have no rival. Seeing you in such a state cannot bore well. I do not want to lose a hard worker like you just yet, Sawada-san. I will leave I-pin in your care. Allow her to protect you while you are recovering."

Both Tsuna and I-pin looked surprised at the sudden decision, but before either could complaint, Fon had already made his way toward the window. With a final look at his student, he gave her an encouraging smile "Take good care of Sawada-san, I-pin. Now I must head back to Lichi."

The moment he received I-pin tearful bow of understanding, Fon jumped out the window before Masahiro or Gokudera could reach the window. Neither of them noticed that Fon had jumped upward toward the roof, instead they only focused on searching the empty ground.

"I can't believe that kid actually jumped from six-stories high!" shouted Masahiro as he rushed out the door heading for the nearest elevator or stairway. He had to make sure with his own eyes that the baby didn't die!

Gokudera was about to followed the cop out when Tsuna stopped him, "It's okay, Gokudera-kun. Fon is the same as Reborn. He is an Arcobaleno, so I'm sure he won't die from that jump."

"Arcobaleno! Seriously?" the question was rhetorical since Gokudera would believe anything Tsuna said, but he just had to asked it anyway.

Tsuna nodded, "Yeah, it explained why Reborn tried to kill me over the job. Arcobaleno may be a group of the strongest babies, but they are not a group of team players. But…" Tsuna face suddenly turning serious was a bad sign when each of the guardians looked away from his sharp stares.

"I want to know how you guys got hurt." his voice was quiet and calm, but it didn't hide the shaking of his words.

Even Lambo had sensed it as he decided to chase I-pin out the room so they could play. Fuuta chased after them with Haru and Kyoko following. Ryohei was about to move after them, when Tsuna finally saw what was happening.

"Stay, onii-san."

Ryohei froze on the spot at the command even though he was only just two steps away from the door. For a moment, he thought of a quick escape.

Tsuna sigh, "I already know how you all got hurt…" the memory of Vincent's threats still hung around his mind, "The Lillarosa had made their move because I went missing…"

* * *

><p>Ikuto looked at the anaesthetic pills bottle in his hand. Should he use it? He was given the bottle by the two men who claimed to be detectives under the order to capture a mafia boss. The badges that they had shown were the same one Masahiro had once shown to him, proving that these two were real officers, but he still couldn't believe that the brunet his little brother had brought in could be a mafia boss.<p>

Vincent had told him that Sawada is currently using his brother and that to prevent any more troubles with the law; Ikuto should help Kyouya, by helping in their capture of the boy.

Using the bottle of unidentified drugs would go against everything he believes in as a doctor, but if he didn't use it, how could he call himself a brother? Thoughts of the skylark when he was young made him stood from the couch in his office.

He was doing something very unprofessional as a doctor, but as an older brother protecting his little brother, he was sure it was the right thing to do. He must protect Kyouya from that mafia boss!

Ikuto had thought it was strange that Kyouya would bring in a victim of his to the hospital himself, but he would have never thought that it was because that Sawada kid had threatened his cute little brother. To think that if it wasn't for those two detectives telling him the truth of that boy, he would have never thought that Tsuna was a mafia boss.

He was doing the whole world a good deed by helping the two detectives get rid of an up and rising don and protecting his little brother from the fiend in the process!

Ikuto was about to exit the door way, when he bumped into Masahiro who charged right into him and sent him flying. The bottle of pills crashed on the ground, all the contents scattered.

"Idiot! Don't you know that running is forbidden inside the hospital!" Ikuto shouted at the older man.

"What else was I supposed to do? A baby just jumped out the window before my eyes!" Masahiro shouted before rushing off once more. Ikuto just stood there shaking his head in disappointment thinking his older brother must have lost his mind.

Looking down at the spilled pill bottle, Ikuto sighed as he picked up the small white pills unaware that someone was watching him.

"I'm sorry" Tsuna apologized to the three after hearing Gokudera and Yamamoto's explanations of what had happened while he was fighting Hibari.

Yamamoto frowned at Tsuna's lowered head, "You should stop apologizing for what that family is doing. As I see it, you have nothing to do with any of their actions, Tsuna."

"Baseball-idiot is right, Juudaime!" Gokudera agreed which gave Tsuna a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

The sudden scream from the doorway was all he needed to prove his point.

"Yo, Hibari!"

"Hibari-sempai, did you grow?"

A sniff from Gokudera at the black haired doctor had Tsuna realizing that it was actually Ikuto bringing him his long awaited lunch.

"What had happened to _my _wall?" Ikuto screamed not moving his eyes away from the wall.

"What do you extremely mean, Hibari?" Ryohei asked with a shout.

Ikuto finally teared his eyes away from the hole to look over the three patients he remembered being treated by his nurses. "You three are supposed to be in the next room over, right?"

Yamamoto frowned when a fake smile made its way onto Ikuto's face, "Who are you?"

"Hibari Ikuto, Hibari-sempai's older brother." Tsuna was the one to answer the question which made Yamamoto relax for a second, "He is the doctor that's taking care of me at the moment."

"Yes, and it is now time for Sawada-san to take his lunch and medication…"Ikuto smile was a worry for both Yamamoto and Gokudera, "Could I ask the three of you to head back to your room?"

Tsuna grumbling stomach asked—no, begged him to request their leaves with the temptation of food overpowering the caution of his hyper intuition.

"I'm okay now, you guys need to rest as well, so go ahead and head back, we're only a room apart."

Gokudera immediately looked like he wanted to refuse no matter what Tsuna said, but the brunet's next words shut him up completely.

"This time I promise I won't try to escape…out to train." he added sensing his friends worries. He smiled knowing that this was a promise he would keep since he couldn't even run on his injured leg even if he had wanted to and the very thought of training with Hibari again was just not something he was looking forward to anytime soon—or at all really.

With a worried last glance at Tsuna's smiling face, Gokudera and Yamamoto followed after Ryohei.

"Sorry about my friends, Sensei." Tsuna apologized once the two were alone and Ikuto decided to use the curtain to hide the hole between the two rooms.

"Its fine, I'll get someone to fix it soon. You must be hungry by now, so eat up."

The tray he put before Tsuna contained a simple bowl of beef stew with a side loaf of bread and a bottle of milk. A small cup of fruits and a small dish of medications filled up the rest of the tray. Tsuna only focused on the food as he dug right into the stew.

"Take the pills once you finish eating and I'll come back later to pick up the tray." Ikuto was about to leave the room when Tsuna stopped him.

"Thanks for everything Ikuto-sensei!" the boy's smiling face was filled with such honestly that he was left feeling guilty watching the boy swallow the pills down with his milk.

_Was he doing the right thing? The boy is a mafia boss! He had the job to protect his little brother!,_ those were the train of thoughts that kept Ikuto mind busy for the next ten minutes as he headed back to his office. Upon arriving he was once again visited by the two detectives.

He led the two men back to Tsuna's room to see that the boy had already fallen asleep from the drugs. The doctor part of him wondered what kind of drug it was that acted so fast and if there was any side effect to the drugs.

"I have finally caught you Tsu-chan." the sudden bone-chilling statement from the black hair of the duo sent shivers through Ikuto's body as regret flooded his mind. Something was telling him that he had made a grave mistake in trusting these two detectives, but it was too late when Sergio knocked him on the neck.

The last sight Ikuto saw was Vincent carrying Tsuna as he walked towards the door, turning only to leave a final message, "Signor Ikuto Hibari. Grazie for your foolishness in helping me get back my little Tsu-chan."

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><p><strong>AN: So how was it? Tell me what you think and I might work harder on getting the next chapter done. Right now I'm still having a small write block on how to get to the main plotline, so next chapter will probably be another filler. <strong>

**However, I'm not the type to just leave you hanging with not knowing what is going to happen to Tsuna and Vincent so maybe the story will stay on track...hopefully. Wish me luck!**

**In the meantime, if you still haven't read my latest story 'Of Chaos and Confusion', take a look and tell me what you think. If I get enough reviews to continue, I might just start making an actual storyline to the new fic. **

**Thank again for reading!**


	17. Sky Rest

**AN: Sorry for the late update! First it was because of a writer block, then I suddenly found myself working on my other story as an advent for Christmas. Because I didn't want to keep you waiting, this chapter is not beta. All mistakes are my own! The next few chapters might also be unbeta but please continue to give me encouragement by reviewing! Thank you.**

**TO Nekokratik: In case you didn't receive your email yet, I just want to apology for not contacting you about this posting without beta. Also thanks so much for all your previous work on Ch. 8 to Ch. 16!**

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><p><strong><em>Summary from last chapter:<em>**

_Tsuna woke up in a hospital after getting his life beaten out of him by Hibari. There he was reunited with his guardians, but their reunion was cut short when Hibari Ikuto, Kyouya's older brother and Tsuna's doctor got a visit by Vincent and Sergio disguised as cops here to capture Tsuna. _

_Afraid that his little brother had gotten into trouble with a dangerous crime lord, Ikuto was easily tricked by Vincent into feeding Tsuna some pills that made him fall unconscious. Vencent then reveal his true intention and kidnapped Tsuna from the hospital_.

**Chapter 17: The Sky Rested**

Wide open space, loud machineries, and a carefree boss that didn't worry about his own safety only made the already stressed Sergio unhappier than he already was. He already had to take care of the transportation of the Arcobaleno, Reborn, with the addition of having to make sure that Vincent is not assassinated by any surprise attack and now he had to supervise the safety of the person he hate the most in the world, Tsunayoshi Sawada.

His hate for the brunet could be said to rival that of his boss obsession on the boy. It's a hate that was born from the moment he learned of the boy existence and only grew within the nine years since he first met the brunet.

The reason for his overly strong hates is stem from the fact that Tsuna is the heir to Vongola Famiglia, the Family that destroyed his life. The life that Vincent had erased with their precious meeting eighteen years ago when he was first assigned as the four year old boy's bodyguard.

"Sergio!" Vincent agitated voice roared out against the loud machineries of the plane he was standing near. Sergio wasted no time in getting to his boss' side as he sends away the pilot from their talk.

"Padroncino", the suddenness of Vincent called had reversed him back to his native language. He returned to the uses of Japanese when he realizes his single mistake, "What can I do for you?"

"Sergio, hurry up the process. I want to get out of this boring town before those friends of Tsu-chan decide to get him back."

"I understand." Sergio bowed, "However, Padroncino please head onto the plane first. Being out in the open for too long could be dangerous."

Vincent laughed at the comment, "Don't worry too much about assassination, no one would even consider that we are here since this is just a small insignificant town." (Oh, how Hibari would had bitten him for that comment.)

Sergio silently agreed since it was the very same reason the Lillarosa had such a hard time searching for Tsunayoshi.

The only reason they found the boy was from a lucky break—a Vongola watchman was seen by chance and captured for information. Yet danger could still come and Sergio wouldn't take the chance with low security just because of a false sense of safety. Anything could still happen, but he must hurried up the process to please his boss.

"I'll get right on the task, Padroncino once you are on the plane."

With a sigh, Vincent headed up the steep stairway and into the plane. It was then that Sergio sense it, a treacherous aura directed right at him and his boss, but when the feeling disappeared just as quickly as it came, and seeing that Vincent was already inside the safety of the plane, Sergio brushed off the feeling as his anxious talking.

* * *

><p>Something was wrong. Tsuna felt strange. His entire body refused to move at his request. He had known that his body needed it rest after what he had put it through, but could it really have shut down completely like this…no this was definitely not normal. He had felt this way before and not just once. A feeling of having his mind fully awake, and yet his body is in a deep slumber.<p>

A strange flash of light from the distance made Tsuna moved from the spot he was stood at. The whole entire place was pitch black yet Tsuna felt a sense of security all around him as he decided to walk toward the light he saw. He had nothing better to do anyway.

Each step was surprising difficult to take despite his feeling of being safe. It was like wadding upward against a calm yet strong downstream river or against a strong blowing wind. The pressure of the air thick and heavy, but still Tsuna pushed his way forward.

"Vuoto!" he quicken his pace through the thick air when he saw the familiar form of his double on the ground. The area around him was glowing white against the darkness around them which produces a light-like quality to his eyes. Upon reaching the boy, Tsuna began shaking at Vuoto's unmoving body. With a pounding heart and watery eyes, he reached for the brunet's wrist to check for a pulse.

He let out a small hysterical laugh at finding what he was searching for. It was stupid of him to think that Vuoto was dead when he himself was still very much alive. He had learned by now that they were two side of the same coin and he got the feeling that neither could live without the other. But the fact still remains that Tsuna couldn't wake his other half up no matter how loud he called. Should he be worried? Yes.

* * *

><p>'<em>Out of the frying pan and into the fire.',<em> that was the first thought that entered Ikuto's head when he was rudely awaken by Gokudera shaking him by his collar.

"What did you do with Juudaime, bastard?" the boy loud shouting wasn't helping as the words only cause his murky head a pounding headache.

"Calm down, Octopus-head!" roared Ryohei. The boxer was holding back Gokudera with both arms in a hook-hold as he held the boy back from doing more than just grabbing the collar.

Meanwhile, Yamamoto was examining the empty bed where Tsuna was supposed to be on for any clues, but all he found was just that—an empty bed and not a trace of Tsuna.

"Calm down?" Gokudera screamed, "I knew it was a bad idea to let the boss out of my sight after what had happened last time! Juudaime shouldn't be left alone and I wouldn't have left if it wasn't for this lousy excuse for a doctor!"

It was obvious to Yamamoto and Ryohei that their friend was still sore about Tsuna's avoidance of him just before the brunet's disappearance. But they also understood his anger this time since Tsuna had promise them that he wouldn't leave along with the fact that they were right next door and yet they couldn't do anything to stop the brunet from disappearing _again!_ It only made them more suspicious of the doctor who they had found lying on the ground next to the bed.

Ikuto was at a total lost at what he should do. He was never a fighter like Masahiro or even Kyouya, but his pride as a Hibari wouldn't let him back down from a challenge. He pulled away from Gokudera hold with a shaky laugh, "That yakuza deserve what he got! He's captured by the cops!"

Gokudera would have punched the man into the ground if Ryohei didn't keep the firm hold on the boy. But since he did, Gokudera couldn't move. In his place, Yamamoto sends his own punch into the foolish doctor's face.

"Tsuna is not a part of the yakuza!" Yamamoto declared, "He's a mafioso."

Ikuto didn't know if his unbalance was because of the sharp punch to his face or the boy's obtuseness. "Either way, that boy was a dangerous person!" he countered Yamamoto's statement, "I only handed him into the police's hand!"

"What are you talking about, Ikuto?" the new comer's voice drew all the room's occupants' attentions to the entrance way as Masahiro came to a sudden stop from his punching charge. He was about to send a punch of his own into Yamamoto for the hit on his little brother, but paused at Ikuto weird confession.

The cop had returned to the room to take the statements on the two explosions that happened in Namimori after realizing that the baby who had jumped out the window didn't die. Or at least he hoped the kid wasn't dead since he could find a bloody body on the ground. Truth be told, he didn't find a body at all and only returns to vent out his frustration on the rude brat, Gokudera, for being made a fool chasing the wind.

"You turns who to the police?" the voice didn't belong to Masahiro as once again the occupants face the door. Everyone in the room jumped, twitched, cowered as their personality demand at the sudden appearance of Hibari Kyouya at the door. He didn't enter any deeper into the room seeing the amount of people crowding the area, but the temperature still dropped a few degrees as the meaning of his question truly hits his target.

Ikuto hid behind Masahiro at the glare his younger brother sends him. Masahiro moved away with a falter laugh. "S-sorry Ikuto, b-but you're gonna have to handle this one on your own." he avoided eyes contact with the raven hairs man cowering behind him. There was just no way in hell that he want to get between Kyouya and his target, no matter who the target may be. Although, the skylark was the youngest of all his siblings, Kyouya was the most dangerous of all Hibari even thought he was so cute when the boy was younger.

The sudden sharp glare directed at him, shut off Masahiro line of thoughts as he move closer toward Yamamoto who was surprisingly still smiling at the prefect. A closer look showed that the smile was far from perfect, but it was more from nervousness than fear.

"Ikuto-niisan" the title was respectful as expected from the Namimori Disciplinary Head, but the tone held a hint of threat to the person it was directed to, "What did you do with my toy?"

For the life of him Ikuto was grateful when Gokudera interrupted the youngest Hibari but he only wish that the kid would have picked a better way to distract the skylark instead of just shouting in his face.

"Bastard! How dare you call Juudaime your _toy_?"

Too bad for Ikuto, the skylark only smirked at the boy as if saying 'the-little-dog-can-bark-all-he-want-but-he-can-never-bite-me' before turning back to his brother for his answer.

The silent was all it took for Ikuto to break down completely to the floor at the majority of his misdeed.

_Kyouya had called that Sawada kid his toy! Kyouya had brought the kid to the hospital himself! The kid was obviously very important to Kyouya and yet he sold the boy out to two cops he knew nothing about! He was going to die!_

The single step Hibari Kyouya took into the room was quite chilling as even Gokudera became quiet from his complains.

_He was going to die!_

"What are you doing here?" the question made Ikuto looked up in confusion since he knew that there was no reason for Kyouya to asked him such question. Everyone else in the room was surprised since none of them could distinguish who he was talking to. The skylark was facing the empty bed, his face emotionless.

"I never expect you of all people to be crowding around with these weaklings." The attack on the empty bed only surprised them even more as Hibari pulled out his tonfas. One of the metal weapon floated in midair just before the empty chair as the other was set by his side in a ready to attack position.

But no amount of surprise they experienced so far could prepared them for the moment a white fog surround the room and Tsuna reappeared with a purple hair girl sitting on the chair.

"…" Kyouya dropped the tonfa at the sight, "My mistake. I thought you were the jester." the comment soften the killing aura around the prefect as he spared Tsuna a disapproving look before turning back on the girl, "Speak and tell me the reason you are here?"

"I am here as Tsunayoshi Sawada stand-in mist guardian under Mukuro-sama's order, Cloud-san.", her voice soft-spoken but her answer was smooth as if she had practice that one line thousand of time before speaking.

The glare Hibari send her for calling him by the symbol of the ring didn't faze her as she stood her ground.

"Show me proof, since I know that you are also working for that transfer student." The raised tonfa did nothing to her fear, although, deep inside Chrome was shaking a little at facing such a cold man. Only the fact that she have known Mukuro be similar at time allowed her to know that no matter his threats, the man before her was not going to kill her.

"Mukuro-sama's order is always my top priority! Contiello-san is only an unimportant client. As for the proof…" she lifted her right hand to show them the metal ring on the middle finger, "the Vongola mist ring."

Gokudera and Yamamoto jumped at the sudden appearance of one of the missing rings they had thought they've lost.

"How did you get that?" Both asked almost at the same time.

Chrome moved away from them before holding her ground. She must stay close to her new boss! The boss that Mukuro had told her to protect.

"This ring was given to me by Mukuro-sama!" she shouted.

Gokudera didn't believe her as he grabbed her right wrist. "Don't lie!"

"Wait Gokudera!" Yamamoto stopped him when he recognized the name she mentioned, "She could be telling the truth. Tsuna's list did have the name Mukuro, remember? He could have given him the ring and he in turn passed it to this girl."

"Che-" Gokudera whined but didn't drop the girl's wrist, "But what did you do to Juudaime? He is not even waking up even when we are making so much noise!"

Chrome pointed at Ikuto, "You should asked him about the drugs he given boss. He got them from Contiello-san."

"Drugs?"

* * *

><p>About 40,000 feet above sea level, inside a small private jet a major chaos was born as Vincent order for an explanation on the sudden disappearance of the sun Arcobaleno, Reborn. One moment he was toasting to his victory in front of the baby and the very next, Reborn had disappeared into thin air.<p>

The strongest baby hitman was in the cage since the start of their flight and although, Vincent had thought it to be strange when the kid was no longer grumbling in pains, he had brush it away as a sign of surrender. Now that he looked back, it might have been that the kid was missing since the very beginning, before they even boarded the plane. But then another question arises; why didn't the baby rescue his student? NO! Maybe like with the Arcobaleno, the brunet had also been…

"Sergio!" his voice panicking as he realized something very important. The girl illusionist he hired when he first went to Japan was no longer around. She had always been quiet and obedience that he never really saw her as a danger, but illusionist were all tricky and he never should have let her out of his sight.

Sergio was halfway toward him asthe man rush to his called. "Tell the pilot to turns the plane around!" Vincent ordered not waiting to see what his right hand man was doing as he rushed pass the few panicking men on the plane. Pushing them all aside, he opened the door to the back room where he kept Tsuna only to find the boy disappearing into a cloud of mist the moment he enter the door.

Rage was the only feeling filling him as Vincent head back toward the front of the plane in order to blow his fuse on anyone who didn't get him back to Namimori before the end of the day.

* * *

><p>"Please forgive me Kyouya!" Ikuto begged the younger boy, "I really thought that he was threatening you. I've never expected that those two were fakes!"<p>

In the past few minutes, Ikuto had seen how foolish his actions really were when he was forced to explained that he gotten those drugs from two men claiming to be detectives. Masahiro disproved his claim that those two were real detectives when he explained about a new measure of authentic all officers must be required to fulfill on usages of any kind of drugs. The very fact that those two didn't show any letter of approval was already suspicious enough.

What's more he had to learn that although Tsuna was to be the next Don of Vongola, the boy was not officially part of the Family as of yet. At least that is what he was told by Gokudera and Yamamoto when he brought up the matter that Tsuna was still a dangerous yakuza. He was almost hit again by Yamamoto for the comment, but the jock held back with a reminder that his school prefect was still watching them from a corner of the room when the teen moved.

"I see…" the skylark seems to be considering the facts as he headed toward the door. He stopped just before heading out, however, and got them all frozen up the moment he turns, "Girl, do what you wish, but if anything happen to him before I get my rematch, _I'll bite you to death_!", the last part of his message was so bone-chilling that everyone reflexively gather closer toward the sleeping Tsuna, knowing that Hibari wouldn't attack an unconscious person. The skylark left the room afterward feeling that his limit was being reached from the gathering crowd.

The moment the prefect's presence disappeared into the elevator, the two Hibari brothers held one another in a tearful hug of fear…or was it sadness. The other couldn't decide.

Ikuto was the first to whine that his little brother had grew to be so coldhearted when the boy was so cute when he was younger.

"Don't say that!" Masahiro was still a bit paranoids from Hibari glare at his thoughts from before, "You know that he hate to be associate with that word!" the panic clearly exemplified from his voice.

"B-But…But I can't help it! I still remember those times when he was little…all those times he rushed to hugs us…" Ikuto whined only pausing for a moment to think over a certain point in his memories. His watery eyes dried up quite quickly as he stare at the older male, "…Masa-nii, didn't Kyouya's hug usually hurt your stomach?"

The older Hibari stopped his panicky expression as Ikuto's words reached him, "Now that you mention it, his hugs always did seem to be quite painful."

Yamamoto's laugh caught their attention as the two Hibari brothers turns to see what was so funny.

"Doesn't that mean he was tackling you instead of hugging?" the simple question crushed all their optimism dream of a cute kind-hearted little brother image from their mind as more memories appeared.

"Then…", as if afraid Yamamoto would crush another wonderful childhood memory, Ikuto slowly told them another situation during his youth, "those time Kyouya played hide-n-seek with us, but never came down from the tree even after we found him?" he was dreading the answer the baseball jock was going to give when Gokudera answer instead.

"Obviously he was getting away from the fools around him."

The blunt comment that ended with a sneer was like having pails of ice cold water thrown at them.

"W-what…what a-about that t-time when he p-play catch with the rocks in the pond?" Masahiro stuttered.

"That some extreme playing!" Ryohei roared. Yamamoto looked a little confused since he play catch with rocks as well during his childhood.

Gokudera shattered them all with his realist's statement, "He wasn't playing! That was just throwing rocks to get you to go away. I did that with sis all the time."

"The time…he…played knight?"

"You mean hitting you with sticks right?"

The list went on with Ikuto and Masahiro throwing out memories and Gokudera crushing them all with some help from Yamamoto and Ryohei. Chrome sat quietly in her seat feeling sorry for Cloud-san for having such dense brothers as the list only grew to the point where even she could see that the cloud guardian was trying to avoid his overly obsessed brothers!

"Offering to water the plants in the garden?" Masahiro tone was that of a defeated general that was throwing out his last hand.

This time Gokudera couldn't give an answer as he had never water the garden nor did remember doing anything related to water with his sister. Ryohei have played with the hose during the summer time with Kyoko so he didn't see anything wrong there. Yamamoto's place never have a garden before so he didn't have anything to input.

Seeing the sign of hope, the two Hibari brother's smile brightens at finally finding something that their little brother did out of kindness instead of just driving them away. Too bad Chrome couldn't let them have that one special memory when she carelessly asks, "Was Cloud-san pointing the hose at you?"

She covered her mouth the moment those words escaped but it was too late. Everyone had already heard her and the final hope Ikuto and Masahiro had was squashed into nonexistent. It was exactly like she had said. Kyouya had been using the hose as a water gun to blast them away!

Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei, however, welcome her into their little group. Laughing at the fact that she finally joins their conversation even if it was just making fun of the two dotting brothers, the three made sure to warn her not to actually talk about this to Hibari Kyouya. Who know what he would do to them if he found out.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was at a total lost at what to do. He had been calling Vuoto for what felt to him like hours only to give up when his other self refused to awake. Now he was crying as he sat by the motionless sack potato he named Vuoto to be.<p>

The sudden thought that Vuoto had die shaken his body as he once again went to check on the boy's pluses. It was still thumping under his index and middle fingers. Tsuna crawled back to his own little circle of white as another thought occurred to him. _Could he be the one who was dead?_ No that was impossible since he and Vuoto was connected and checking Vuoto's pulse was the same as checking his own…he put two fingers on his wrist just to make sure.

_Thump. Thump._

He was still alive! But if he was still alive, why was he suffering this cruel punishment? He was sure it was a punishment since he couldn't think of any other reason for his solitary. But what was the reason? What did he do to deserve this?

The darkness around him shrunk the white circle he was in, but Tsuna was unaware of the fact as he buried his head deep into his knees. Then he heard it—laughers. The sound was like the beautiful chirping of songbird which reminds Tsuna of Hibird which in turns only causes him to shake from fear at the memory of Hibari Kyouya.

His head popped out from his knees at the thought only to suddenly felt a hit on his head. Looking around he wonder what had hit him since nothing was in sight excepted for Vuoto who looked like he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. _What was going on?_

* * *

><p>Near the hospital, floating down on a green parachute was Reborn. Batter and tired, but it was still unmistakably Reborn. As he sailed through the air current in order to land on the hospital's roof, the baby hitman let out a small smile of pride at the thought of seeing his Dame-student very soon.<p>

The young boy he had rescued five years ago was maturing, too. Slow in accordance to his preference, but still fast enough considering the boy's horrible childhood educations and even worse treatments. Tsuna had gotten smarter thanks to his severe trainings, as well as stronger…and no he was not boasting about his own teaching skills! The boy had really grown to be an amazing person under his watch.

Reborn remember that he was seriously disappointed when Nono had ordered him to watched over the boy's recovery, but after spending three whole years training the boy, he had grew to love the boy as his own son. Okay so maybe not a son but a fun-to-tease-student. He just loves seeing the boy screaming his name in fear. Those large blobs of tears raining down like pearl and the annoying but cute shriek of terror. It made him feel like his old self, before the time he became an Arcobaleno. A time when people feared him rather than just respect him.

Now after one year of separation, Tsuna was no longer the screaming little kid he was before, but a well respectable man still full of innocence and kindness. Not exactly the perfect mafia boss as of yet, but still a perfect leader-in-progress.

He never would have expected the old Tsuna to recruit an excellent illusionist as one of his guardian. Never mind the imperfection that the man he chose is a convict, Tsuna made the most faultless choice in picking his mist guardian. Tricky and confusing, the mists that create and destroy while hiding it true intention. A dangerous man, yes, but the ideal mist guardian just likes Vongola Primo's own.

Leon dropped the little black suit kid on the safety of the rooftop before transforming back into it original shape of a green chameleon. Picking the tired little creature, Reborn carries the lizard in his hand. His partner had worked hard, but now it was his turns to carry the poor creature to a place of rest.

On his way down the stairs, Reborn thought back to Tsuna's choice of Mist guardian. Never in his life would he have thought the boy to choose Mukuro Rokudo. He had his suspicion when the convict appeared that night at the festival, but it seems that something or someone was really pulling the strings on Tsuna leading him to meet Mukuro and now turning the man into one of Tsuna's guardian. Only question was 'who was doing it without his permission?' Tsuna was after all his charge and he highly doubt that the Ninth is the one pulling Tsuna's strings.

Nevertheless, he was grateful at the moment for the interference since the Mist guardian had been useful in getting him out of the cage.

* * *

><p>'Helpless'<em>, was a word Reborn never known before. Sure he may have known the meaning of the word and he may have used it once or twice or thousands of times to label his students as such, but never have Reborn associated the word with himself. That was until now. <em>

_He never expects that to be helpless was going to be so painful, both physically and mentally. It had been 13 days, 16 hours, 22 minutes, and eight seconds counting since he was captured by that mad man of a boss. Lying flat out on the cold steel cages as a surge of power draining substance pound harshly against his already useless vessel of a body was just making him feel even more irritated at his own weakness. It was time like these that he truly feels the magnitude of the Arcobaleno's curse. Other times, he was able to wave away the disadvantages of his small body._

_The sudden sound of footsteps, made him push away his thoughts and back to the painful realization that he was still captured and that the man who had captured him was coming again to provoke him of his failures. _

_Reborn, however, was surprised when instead of Vincent Contiello, Rokudo Mukuro was the one to stopped before his cage. _

"_Why are you here?" he managed to struggled out the question in an even tone of bewilderment instead of the painful weakness he was really feeling._

_Mukuro was just standing before the cage with a smirked that said he-deserved-what-he-got. Reborn wouldn't have disagreed even if the comment had been spoken right into his face, but it was still taunting seeing as it came from a person that is a convict of the highest level._

"_Kufufu." The creepy laugher of the blue haired illusionist didn't help matter much as Reborn glared at him, if you can called beady round eyes looking at you with a slight frown a glare that is. Mukuro just laughed harder at the pathetic attempt._

"_Don't be so mean." he ordered in a sing-a-song tone, "I'm only here to see the greatest hitman crawling on all four." The illusionist has half the mind to do just as he said, but then a frown appeared upon his face at watching Reborn's dispassion face which he for just a single moment overlap the face of Sawada Tsunayoshi. He waved his arm into the air and brought it back down in a swift swiping motion._

_The cage trapping Reborn clinked opened as the strange substance that had been pounding at him stopped along with the power on the electric cage. For a good five minutes, Reborn stayed, frozen within the cage until Mukuro's laugher brought him to the reality of his situation._

"_Aren't you getting out?" the illusionist question only farther proved his theory that Rokudo Mukuro was here to rescue him._

"_Aren't _you_ going to get me out?" Reborn repeated the man's question as a way of hiding his slow mistake of not leaving the cage before the illusionist had spoken. It was just too embarrassing to leave now that the man had mentioned it._

"_Kufufu-fufu…No, I'm not." was Mukuro simple answer as he left the still weaken Reborn within the cage._

_He stopped by the doorway as if he just remembered something he forgotten, "Tell that student of your that he is a slave driver even though he promised me that everything can be done my way. That boy is even more manipulating than I am." he laughed before pausing to rethink his request. "Never mind, just tell him to keep my cute little Chrome safe. He should currently be at Namimori Hospital."_

_Reborn could only watch as the blue haired man waved his way out the room before he could even comprehend the message. _

* * *

><p>Reborn stopped his musing and came to a standstill when he sensed a present at the other end of the hall way. Someone was coming and he had no doubt that this person was no ordinary person since the hall he was using only lead to the roof. He highly doubts any normal person would head up there without a reason and the person he sensed was definitely going there without a purpose.<p>

The other person stopped as well which made Reborn more positive that the person was experienced in the same type of world he lived in. A fighter or a murder, he still couldn't determine, but the fact that the other person had stopped when they sensed his present meant danger. Now the only question remaining is 'Should he move forward or wait?'

The light snoring from Leon answered him. He didn't have the time to hang around waiting for the stranger to leave. But, Reborn was no fool, he is not going to just walk into an attack in wait, therefore, the little hitman decided to scale the wall. With his light and small body it was an easy task and so he processed to wake Leon up from the lizard's deep slumber. He needs a pair of suction cups to scale the wall after all.

"Show yourself, trespasser or I will bite you to death" the cold deep voice stopped his hand from reaching the lizard on his shoulder as a smirk appears on his chubby cheek.

"Amazing as always, Hibari Kyouya." he commented as if he had known the raven haired boy was the person all along.

"Baby" the skylark greeted when Reborn jumped out from the shadow of the hallway, "I'm surprise to see you've escape."

Reborn frown at the information the boy had on him, but swiftly hid his emotion under his hat, "Yes, thanks to a certain man…"

Hibari looked excited to have heard of a possible strong opponent, but then Reborn had to change the subject. His prideful natures wouldn't allow him to ask the baby farther. He would just have to do his own research later to find the man Reborn had mentioned.

"You don't mind if I stay at this hospital for a while do you?" asked Reborn even though he was planning to stay whether Hibari gave him the permission or not. It was after all just the act of common courtesy that had allowed him to survive for so long in his type of professional. Rude and annoying brats were quicker to die. Just like a certain little brat he want dead.

Hibari glared at him before coolly stating that he should do as he wishes. The boy then continued on his way toward the stair leading up to the roof. As the two passed one another, Reborn caught sight of a glint of light on the prefect's right hand's middle finger.

A smirk spread across his face as a closer look provided him with a clearer image of the Vongola cloud ring.

His student is surely growing to be more and more interesting when he was not around. Maybe now he could get that vacation he wanted three years ago? Foolish thoughts seeing that the Lillarosa and Vongola will surely begin a war in the very near future. He pushed away his little thoughts and continued down the path that will lead him to an information desk where he would get his student's location.

The empty white hallway leave much for thoughts as Reborn redirected his mind back on the topic of Tsuna's chosen guardians. He was positive that his student would pick Gokudera Hayato as his storm. It was after all the reason he stole—no he amend—borrowed the boy from Shamal. The boy's decision to stay with Tsuna was his own—although, it was through manipulation on his part.

The rain guardian should be Yamamoto Takeshi. The boy was a great actor and his smile will surely be able to fool that dame-student of his. But he was still having an uneasy feeling about picking the boy. Out of all the people that had gotten close to Tsuna, Yamamoto was still the most innocent, being a normal civilian and would probably be the first to refuse if he learned of Tsuna's identity.

However, if his dame-student was able to drag the boy in, then Yamamoto could actually grow to be an S-rank hitman maybe even stronger than Hibari. Almost impossible when he had last saw the boy, but he held on to that small string of hope which was born from Hibari and Mukuro's rings. Anything was possible with his student.

As for the sun, he had planned to make Sasagawa Ryohei take the position, but perhaps his dame-student have found a better sun guardian? The boy was strong and with his superior skills in boxing Sasagawa would have been perfect as the guardian that protects the family with his body, but the boy was a little slow in the head. The last time he saw the boy had been during the festival and his foolishly straight forward nature had almost gotten Tsuna killed. Although, the boy had more than made up for it since the person he rescued had been the Ranking-Prince Fuuta.

That leave only the lightning guardian left, and for the life of him he was kind of hoping to have found someone fitting that role before his untimely capture.

"Gahahaha!" the sudden annoying laugh from behind the door he was walking passed made him believe that he was hearing thing.

"Lambo-chan, don't run!" Haru tired voice crushed the last of his hope as he stared at the white wooden door he was standing next to.

"Lambo is not going to share his treasure with anyone!" the little boy shouted as the sound of laughers and running footsteps could be heard.

"Kyoko-chan and Haru only wanted to see it Lambo-chan! We give the ring back, promise!"

_Ring? That Dame-student didn't?_ Reborn eyes had widened even though it was hard to tell with his beady black eyes being so big already. There was just no way his dame-student would choose such an…an…a 'brat' to be the lightning guardian! Oh the horror! What was his dame-student doing?

Suddenly the door to his right flew opened and Lambo ran into him—or at least that what would have happen if Reborn had been a normal person in a daze, but being the best hitman in the world had it advantages. By backtracking just a few feet right before the calf blindly charged into him, Reborn managed to escape a rushing head-butt. Lambo unfortunately was not as lucky when the surprise at seeing his greatest rival before him made him forgot to turn down the hall and instead ran forward toward the opposite wall.

"Lambo-chan!" Haru panic at the sight of seeing her charge getting hurt had rush forward to treat the growing red bump on his head. Kyoko was right behind her as well as a little girl in red.

I-pin was the first to notice Reborn and she gave him a small bow of greeting before rushing off to Lambo side. Surprised to see Fon's favorite student, Reborn complete forgot all about Lambo and returned to his normal cold self.

"Reborn-san!" Fuuta cried in surprise at seeing him as the boy went to scoop him up into his arm.

The two girls' turned to Fuuta sudden cried. Kyoko widen her eyes at seeing a baby as cute as Reborn. She calmed herself from acting as Haru had done the first time she met Reborn and instead just quietly watch Haru interacted with the kid.

"Haru, Kyoko. Long time no see." Reborn greeted with his cute baby expression ignoring Lambo shouting about killing him in the background.

"Ha-hi? Reborn-chan!" Haru exclaimed as she dropped Lambo from her hold. Luckily for the kid, Kyoko was there to catch him. Seeing what had happened, Haru quickly gave Lambo and Kyoko both apologies for dropping the boy in her surprise.

"Haru" Reborn once again drew her attention away from the annoying crybaby, "Where Tsuna's room?"

"Oh! I see, desu!" Haru exclaimed in understanding, "You're here to see Tsuna-san. Then let's all go together!"

* * *

><p>Upon arriving at his student's room, Reborn was greeted by a group of incompetent males and a quiet purple hair girl. The two oldest males in the room were crying, one of them frightenly look quite alike the skylark he had passed down the hall not moment ago. The other looked like a thug.<p>

Tsuna's guardians were just standing around laughing. What's more was that his student was strangely sleeping through all the noises and crying.

"Onii-san!" Kyoko was the first to signal their arrival when she dash over to her older brother. "Should you be out of bed?" she asked a little worried for his injuries.

"I'm EXTREMLY ALRIGHT!" boomed his loud voice. Reborn went over toward Tsuna seeing that the boy still wasn't going to wake up even those he know for a fact that the volume Ryohei had used would be heard through the whole hospital. Yet Tsuna was still sleeping through it?

Getting closer, Reborn was stop—or at least Chrome had tried to stop him. The moment he saw the girl extend the three prongs trident, Reborn had jumped over it and land on the bed railing instead of directly on Tsuna's chest as he first planned. He smile glad that at least one of the people in the room was wise enough to protect Tsuna, even if she had failed miserably.

"I see…no wonder the mist ring was missing on Mukuro." The statement made Chrome stop from striking again.

"Mukuro-sama? Is he alright?" asked Chrome. Her gentle voice sound worried and desperate for any information he could give her.

And Reborn gave it to her, "The last I saw of him, he was heading onto the Lillarosa private plane. The man seems to have something planned."

Chrome let out a visual sigh of relief for the information. Her most important person was still safe and if her master had a plan, then that would mean that he's going to stay safe. For now, she must do her best to fulfill her duty assigned by Mukuro-sama.

Horror marked her already paled face, however, when Reborn had taken advantage of her momentarily mental rambling to send a kick into Tsuna's head, knocking him off the bed in the process. Gokudera was the first to rush over followed by a limping Yamamoto and a noisy Ryohei.

"Reborn-san! Why did you attacked Juudaime?" Gokudera asked as he helps Tsuna back on the bed. He was angry. He was confused. But he was no longer feeling respectful toward Reborn and that more than anything shocked Reborn.

However, the shocked of Gokudera's feeling was nothing compared to the sudden anger building within Reborn at seeing his student still asleep like a log. No matter how dame or tired his student was, Tsuna should have awoken from his attack before the hit actually landed. Did that mean that Vuoto was sacking off? It was an impossibility considering his memory of their first meeting.

_It was around two months since he first rescued Tsuna from the Lillarosa Headquarter and the boy had been recovering rather quickly despite the occasionally attempted suicides and often klutziness. It was during that time that he learned of Tsuna true worth as the future Don of the Vongola. The ninth had hesitantly decided to tell him about the boy identity when he had confronted the old man on why he was still under orders to watch over the kid even after his mission was supposedly done._

_After learning of the facts, Reborn began working on training the boy into a future boss as requested by the Ninth. The process then lead to him wanting to trains the boy to defend himself even in his sleep since mafiosos who held high positions were most likely attacked during their sleep._

_So imagined his surprised when his often clumsily dame-student escaped the Leon-hammer with the skill of a pro. In a way, Reborn had been proud at the flawless dodged that his student had preformed. He was even thinking of praising the brunet for once. That was until the boy smirk._

"_You missed." Tsuna then teased with a seduce chuckle and for maybe the fourth times in his life, Reborn's eye twitched in irritation. _

_After that Reborn was careful not to wake that 'creep' unless it was absolutely necessary. After all, that creep was the devil's incarnation. He was a sadistic to the sadistic!_

"Call Dr. Shamal!" Reborn ordered. While his order alone did nothing but gain surprised and confused looks, the glare he send with the order had all the males in the room scrambling toward the door. He sighed when the group all tried to get out at the same time only to get toss back into the room from the recoil of the overly crowded door frame.

"Gokudera" Reborn decided to rephrase his order. "Go make the call and tell that pervert of a doctor that if he took more than twenty minutes to get here, I promise his most precious possession would get a visit from my gun the next time he fall asleep."

Although, the threat was vague, everyone in the room was pretty sure of the magnitude of the danger within those words. Even the girls and the young Fuuta got the meaning of the message as he clenched onto his red book in worry. Gokudera, being the one to receive the order struggle out of the dog piles he was tossed in as the four others males who dashed with him tried to make room for his escape toward the nearest phone booth in the hospital.

* * *

><p>Not even ten minutes later, a sweaty and out of breath Shamal in his ruffed up lab coat crawled his way into the room. If he wasn't so tired from his mad dash from the school almost eight blocks down, he would be glaring at Reborn for the threat. The anger faded the moment he laid his experienced eyes upon the baby hitman; it was the look of a worry parent at seeing their child suffering. Something he would never have expected from his old friend.<p>

"What happened?" Shamal asked after taking two deep breaths to calm himself from killing the baby and to regain his normal breathing pattern, which was returning to normal way faster than an ordinary person could with just two deep breaths.

"Just like that time on the roof, it seems that bastard had used that drug again." Reborn explained as Shamal walk over toward him to reach Tsuna who was still sleeping through all the madness.

"We might have a traitor this time." Shamal commented simply as he examined Tsuna's body before taking out his trident mosquito to do the job, "the boy doesn't have any open wound excepted for all those bruises and broken bones. No way for the drug to enter except through his mouth or directly into the blood stream."

"DOCTOR!" Ryohei yelled made everyone jumped at the volume, "You can't be serious! No one here wants to hurt Sawada!"

"Stupid lawn-head!" Gokudera exclaimed, "Have you forgotten that the stupid doctor over there fed Juudaime those pills!"

"Maa, Maa, Gokudera, it seem the man didn't mean it!" Yamamoto wasn't even aware that he was also yelling as he tried to calm down his two fellow guardians.

Reborn silently process the information as the three continued to yell at each other. Sometime in the fight, Haru had joined in when Gokudera hit an annoying Lambo for asking to play during his argument with Ryohei. Kyoko, Fuuta, I-pin were the only one not in the fight as the two Hibari brothers looked toward the door in worry every two second before turning back to the group of yelling teenagers.

Then their worst fear happen. At the entrance to Tsuna's room, the youngest Hibari was holding out his tonfas. Before the two older men could shout out a warning, Ryohei was send flying into the air and landed on Tsuna sleeping form and then the room grew silence except for the skylark favorite phase echoing within the crowded room: "I'll bite you all to death."


	18. Vuoto means Void

**Last Chapter:**

_Vincent had finally left Namimori once he got possession of Tsuna...or so he thought until he discovered that everything had been an illusion. Reborn had also escaped from him with the help from Mukuro as the man sneak aboard the plane. _

_Meanwhile, at the hospital, Tsuna was found protected by Chrome but he had not yet awoken from the drug's effect. Reborn had returned and called for Dr. Shamal in order to wake his student from the coma-like statue._

**Chapter 18: Vuoto means Void**

After being so harshly kicked, Tsuna was on guard. It soon became stupid when no other attack came fore and he was alone with a guy who could be dead for all he knew. Then again was being dead really such a bad thing?

If he was dead, then Vincent would no longer be his problem. He doesn't have to worry about the man nor doesn't he have to fear the man. Reborn would probably be release if he was dead since what good is a hostage if the one targeted is already gone. His friends would no longer be in danger if he was dead.

_Dammit! Why is my death leading to only good things happening?_

The list seems to only grow the more he thinks about it, going so far as to dragging in his everyday life. He wouldn't have to worry about homework anymore. All those piles of unpaid bills would no longer be his problem. He wouldn't have to worry about planning for his next meal.

"Now that just stupid..." A tired and calming voice snapped him from his depressing thoughts. Looking up, Tsuna couldn't believe that Vuoto had finally awakened. Then his look-a-like words reach his brain and he frown.

"Say the idiot that slept like a corpse!" Tsuna was angry at Vuoto's lack of consideration for his problems when he had spent the entire time worrying over the boy moment before. The fact that Vuoto was also the reason for his sudden suicidal thoughts only made him further upset.

Vuoto only laughed at his bad attempt at staying angry since he knows that Tsuna had been really glad to have seen him awake. Then he frowned when Tsuna started crying. The reason: "You're afraid of dying. That's not such a big deal. Didn't you already come to terms with the fact that you wanted to live."

It was a statement, not a question directed at Tsuna, but the boy nodded anyway. "I did. But…"

"But… you want to know if it is really better for you to stay alive or not." Vuoto sighed. When Tsuna continued to stayed silence, Vuoto came to a decision. Quickly, when he senses an up and coming danger, Vuoto asked his other self, "Do you want some time to alone to think?"

Looking up in surprise by the sudden unexpected question, Tsuna wanted to asks what he meant.

"You do know that we can't both stay here forever right?" Vuoto asked, "Our body will shut down and become a vegetable if it continue to lose it consciousness for too long…and just think of what Reborn will do to our body if we continue to stay unconscious."

The moment those words came out, the two brunets felt a heavy weight crushed into their stomach. It was like someone had just body-slammed on them.

"Decide now! You or me?" yelled Vuoto as he clenched his painful stomach. "It seem like Reborn already returned."

Dealing with Reborn? Tsuna mind would only provide him with one answer, "You go!" There was no way he was ready to face Reborn even if he was glad that Reborn had somehow escaped Vincent's grasp.

That kick from earlier was probably from Reborn now that he think about it. The baby tutor was the only one he knows that would hurt an injured person in their sleep. Not even Hibari was that coldhearted…at least he hopes not.

"Then you better take this time to seriously consider your problems!" Vuoto yelled as his body got pull into the fading darkness.

Tsuna watched in horror at seeing his other half slowly fading. He reached out his hand to grab hold of the boy, but the sudden appearance of a television set, the old fashion kind that looked like a square box with bunny ear made him released the hand in surprised.

"Our deal has been made." Vuoto stated calmly even as his body got pulled into the television set. "You have to make up your decision if you wish to come back! So don't laze around!" shouted Vuoto as the rest of his head got dragged within the screen. The moment he disappeared, a fluffy orange couch appeared behind Tsuna as the brunet dropped into the seat.

"What's just happened?"

* * *

><p>Reborn frowned when five minutes had passed since Shamal had used his mosquito and still his student had not awake from the coma he was in. He sorely hopes that the brunet wasn't just pretending to sleep just to test his patient. For that, the boy would suffer through the worst punishment Reborn could think of and for the greatest hitman in the world, that's an easy task.<p>

Then the fighting and shouting in the background rose another volume higher and distracted Reborn's thinking. He turns around with plan to shoot every single one of them into a coma just like Tsuna, but stopped in order to jump away from the sudden flying tonfa that was knocked away by Mukuro. When did that man appeared? Reexamining the room, Reborn notice that Chrome was missing as did the two older Hibari. The two men must have sneaked out due to their brother's wrath since they know firsthand how painful the skylark's hits can be.

As for Mukuro, the man must have used some kind of illusion to switch place with Chrome in order to knock the attacking tonfa away and instead heading toward..."TSUNA!"

He turned his head, knowing that it was faster than turning his whole body completely. The moment he did, he wishes he didn't for the brunet was finally up and moving, but it was definitely not his student that had awoke.

The position he was sitting with after so easily dodging the metal weapon was a clear clue. And if that wasn't enough, then the glares of Hibari, Mukuro, and surprisingly Yamamoto were more than enough to tell him that it was Vuoto who had awoken.

"SAWADA! You're finally awake!" Ryohei was the first to greet him, over-voicing Gokudera quieter greeting of "Juudaime!"

Vuoto smirked at the greeting and gave one in return. "Morning _Sempai_!" He made sure to ignore Gokudera completely even though he could see the silver haired boy looking at him expectedly for his own greeting.

Ryohei frowned at the title Tsuna had decided to used, "I told you to extremely call me Onii-san!"

"Hai, _Sempai_!" Tsuna chimed. Luckily, Ryohei only seem to have heard the yes to his request and not the continued use on the 'sempai' title.

"Hello, _Sensei_! Glad to see you've finally escaped." Tsuna chimed a greeting in Reborn direction while continuing to ignore Gokudera. The boy had retreated into a corner in the room when he realized that Tsuna was indeed ignoring him on purpose.

Reborn, however, chose to ignore brunet's taunt and instead went straight to the question on his mind.

"Why are you the one awake?"

"Don't you miss me?" Tsuna pouted with a kicked puppy expression that would have drive anyone into dying for his sake if that was his wish. Too bad it didn't work on Reborn as he sharply gave a snare as an answer.

Tsuna sighed in disappointment having not been able to irk Reborn as much as he would have liked. Instead he turns to greet Yamamoto with a grin.

Yamamoto took his bait and came charging at him with the intent to punch the brunet out like a punching bag despite his limping foot. His out stretch arm was stopped before his blow landed when Reborn had grabbed his hand. Surprised more out of the amazing strength that came from such a little guy than being stopped, Yamamoto let his arms dropped to his side when Reborn release him.

"Why did you stopped me?" he turns the glare toward Reborn once his mind realized that the baby had obstructed his punch.

"I won't allow Tsuna's body to suffer any more damage than it's already in" replied Reborn.

"Ts-Tsuna?" Yamamoto seems truly surprised as he took another look at the brunet sitting before him. The arrogant and relax pose coped with that fake smile and emotionless eyes had made him forgot that it was really his friend, Tsuna, who was sitting on the bed. The brunet had all the injuries, all the looks, and all the items that was labeling him as Tsuna despite the sudden switch of personality.

"Finally figured it's out I see." Tsuna laughed at Yamamoto shock expression at finally realizing the truth of his friend. "That's right, I am Tsuna." The brunet just had to rub it in Yamamoto already shocked mind as he smirks, "He is me and I am him. We are two sides of the same coin, but I'll allow you guys to call me Vuoto if that would make you more comfortable."

It was now Reborn turns to be in shocked. Never would he have expected Vuoto phrased out those words in those order. Since when does that creep care about making others feel 'more comfortable'?

Ever since the first night that they had met, Reborn could only see the boy hate toward the world. Everything and everyone was an enemy to him and he had made it his goal to torture every person he came across. Just like the name Tsuna had given himself when he first joined the mafia, 'Vuoto' was an empty being who cared about nothing and no one.

Never had the boy tried to make another person feel at ease around him and yet here he was offering Yamamoto a choice to called him by a different name if it made the boy 'more comfortable'? Does that mean his dame-student had accepted Yamamoto? The ring on the jock's finger told Reborn that the brunet had.

"Carnivore" greeted Hibari as his patient began to become thin. He had been waiting for the boy to finish his greeting, but the way the brunet was going, the room would soon fall into an undisciplined mess with a bunch of irritating herbivores. Hibari Kyouya would beat the carnivore to death first before he could bring about such an outcome! The skylark charged toward Tsuna when Reborn deal with his metal understanding of the boy's strange new attitude.

Tsuna smirked at the oncoming attack, widening his brown orbs just slightly when he saw Mukuro moving in the background. The illusionist must have decided to use Hibari's wild charge to his advantage in order to take down Tsuna. He had known since the very moment he asked Mukuro to become his guardian that the man had only accepted because it was easier to attack an enemy at close range.

"Now there, two against one? That is so unfair." Tsuna pouted at the two older teens holding weapons of their own choosing begin charging toward him. Both teens unwillingly fell for his taunt and blindly raced forward.

Reborn mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down and allow the two kids to attack Tsuna. His curse soon changed from worrying about the brunet to his own stupidity for the pointless worrying when Tsuna jumped away from the bed as the two metal weapons destroy the bed.

Gokudera would have cried out in worried if he had seen the slight twitch of pain on Tsuna face for his leap, but the boy was still totally sulking in the corner. In his place, Ryohei was cheering the brunet to 'extremely show him a good fight!' The girls and kids watch in horror at seeing the bed destroyed. Yamamoto continued to struggle with his inner feeling about his friend's weird quirk.

Seeing the frightful look on the woman and children's faces, Tsuna decided to stop playing around and charge in between his two attackers.

Grabbing Hibari's shoulder and Mukuro's arm, the brunet slammed them into each other. The sudden unexpected rush didn't allow them the chance to react fast enough to dodge from each other.

However, because both of them were so stubborn as to try dodging anyway, the head butt that Tsuna had planned for them became a sudden first kiss between the two males. Both couldn't have retreated fast enough. But Tsuna was not finished yet, grabbing an IV coil he found laying against the IV stand, he wrapped his white undershirt around the plastic piece of tube.

Mukuro had been watching him, agonized at the strange actions he did decide to charge at Tsuna once again. His body hesitates a bit from closing the distance toward the skylark, but he pushed forward with a greater goal of stopping the brunet from whatever the boy was doing. Whether it was luck or planned, Mukuro was soon drenched with water from the pitcher in Tsuna's hand when the boy tosses it on the strange construction he was working on. The smirk on the brunet's face told him it was all planned.

Fear. A sudden feeling of fear overtook him and Mukuro stopped whatever moment he had planned to do next. Mukuro couldn't even believe that he was scared into being a statue by a kid a head shorter than him when even men thrice his size couldn't cause him a hint of fear!

Meanwhile, Tsuna had turned away from Mukuro and grabbed the still surprised Hibari. The touch on his arm snapped the prefect from his daze, but it was too late since Tsuna had already used the wetted coil he made to tie the boy's hand together. Hibari tried to send a kick into the brunet for daring to tied him up, but fail when Tsuna continued to wrap the wetted piece of rope downward against his body, then around his legs and feet until the prefect was wrapped like a mummy except for his head.

He tried to break loose to punish the brunet for his daring, but the thick plastic tube of the IV and the wet cloth had made the rope around him tighter than a metal chain, preventing him from escaping.

"I hope you two _lovebirds_ take this time to calm down." Tsuna chimed before strolling over toward Kyoko and Haru bare-chested. Both girls' faces were red from witnessing the kiss between two males, but that was nothing compare to the cherry-red blush on their face when Tsuna touched both their hand like a gentleman greeting a lady for the first time with a planted kiss.

Continuing the act when he notices their face, Tsuna apologized with a princely smile, "Forgive the two _lovebirds_ for their barbaric actions." He could see out the corner of his eyes that both teens had finally heard him this time when they twitched and glared in his direction.

"They are both so childish." Tsuna paused for a moment to allow the two girls some time to digest his statement, "If they had just said that they were thirsty, I would have handed the pitcher over without all this fuss. Don't you agree?"

"Thirsty?" questioned Haru since she didn't understand where Tsuna was going with this.

Tsuna nodded, even going so far as point at the pitcher of water he had poured on Mukuro, "I was trying to hand it over to him…" cued the fake tears, "But I tripped. Then Hibari-sempai wanted to hurt me for spilling water on his boyfriend. I was scared Haru-chan, Kyoko-chan!" Tsuna jumped into their arms, crying fake tears which got everyone glaring at him. Lambo even went as far as trying to head-butt him away if only he didn't pull back first.

"Lambo!" Haru cried when the kid start crying after bumping his face against the floor when Tsuna dodged.

Tsuna smile thankful that Lambo had gave him the perfect excuse. "Haru-chan! How is Lambo? Is he hurt?"

"It's only a bump, he's fine." said Shamal.

"No he is not!" Tsuna suddenly exclaimed surprising everyone even Gokudera who had been mopping all this time. "Dr. Shamal, you must take the girls with you to get more band-aid!"

Ignoring the fact that they were inside a hospital room where band-aid were sure to be found if one only look in the cabins around the room, the doctor played along with the brunet. He had gotten Tsuna's message, the boy didn't want the girls around and probably not the kids as well.

"I understand." Smiling, Shamal asked the girl to help him with finding the band-aid. He stopped at the door to called Fuuta and I-pin remembering Tsuna's statement about Hibari and Mukuro being thirsty, "I'll be borrowing the kids as well and bring back some drinks for the thirsty _lovebirds_."

Tsuna laughed once Shamal had escorted the girls and kids out. Lambo complaining that he was not allowed to followed, but Tsuna just ignored the crying kid. Turning around, he noticed that Hibari had escaped from the rope he made and was stand in a corner furthest from Gokudera. His smile only grew at the sight. The skylark understand that he was serious.

"Now then on to business …" he turns a defiant stare in Mukuro direction, "Hand over the box you stole, Mukuro." All the playfulness of Tsuna's voice disappeared as it was replaced by a cold and calm tone.

The very thought of lying to the boy was crushed by the voice's coldness as Mukuro toss over a black cube the side of a golf ball. He was angry by the strange ability Tsuna possess but the reminder that that power would belong to him the moment the brunet die allow him to smile.

Gokudera however, looked shocked at seeing the black cube since the last he had seen of the item was at the bank, "How did you get that?" He was outraged that he had allowed someone to have stolen from his boss. Then like a tidal wave, Gokudera was hit with answers to some of his unvoiced questions. "Were you the one who stole two of the rings and gave Lambo the message?"

Mukuro smirked, glad to have finally found a victim to torture.

"I was the one who asked him to do it." Tsuna stopped the illusionist from his plan. "I asked him to get the cloud ring and sky ring, but he decided to steal the black box as well." Turning to Mukuro he asked, "Did you think that the item inside would help you possess this body?"

The smirk told Mukuro that the brunet had already calculate in the fact that he would steal the box and that the item inside was worthless to him, but still Mukuro couldn't help but want the item if only to annoy the brat.

"I show you what is inside…" Tsuna told him, the playful smile back on his face, "but first I need your flame."

Mukuro looked confused as did everyone else in the room.

"So that why is you send everyone but Tsuna chosen guardians away?" Reborn asked.

"Not really, I just wanted to hear out Mukuro's plan without the girls and kids worrying."

Mukuro started laughing his signature laugh, "So you've already predicted this as well, I see."

"Only because you stay behind after rescuing Reborn-sensei and then suddenly appearing using an illusionary possession with Chrome-chan."

"Hmph, if you are so good, why don't you tell me what is it that I am planning?" Mukuro challenged. He was not going to be manipulated by this brat!

Tsuna took up the challenge, "You are just buying us some time by using illusion to keep the bastard up in the air, correct?"

Mukuro want to lie and say no, but the boy was on the mark and if he wants that body, then he had no choice but to allow the brunet to take the victory.

"One we—" Mukuro looked distracted for a moment. Then before anyone could even asked him what's happened, Mukuro just disappeared.

Tsuna sighed, "One week, huh…That's not enough time." And it had seems that something had happened on his side.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was practically glued in front of the television set as he watched Vuoto teased Ryohei, ignored Gokudera to the point where his first best friend went sulking in a corner, shocked Yamamoto into silence, and provoked Hibari and Mukuro into a fight…then…kissed!<p>

He blushed deeply, holding back the laugher that threatens to explode from his mouth. For some reason he got the feeling that if he laughed out loud, Hibari and Mukuro was sure to killed him even if they couldn't see him.

That boy had even had the guts to irritated Reborn! He was sure that he was going to get kill the next time he got the body. But for some reasons, he noticed that Vuoto doesn't seem to target the girls or the kids with his sadistic personality.

Half the time, his other self only chose to ignore Lambo. But when he really thinks about it, it was almost the same as how he would act around the kid. But with the girls, Vuoto became a totally flirt. Tsuna had to wonder what the boy had done in the past with his body now that he knew of his other self existent. He shiver from the thoughts of what his other self had done.

Shaking his head, Tsuna decided that he really didn't want to know when Vuoto suddenly became serious. No he was empty. That was the only description Tsuna could use on Vuoto's serious side. His orange eyes that seem like it is shining with determination or coldness was unemotional and blank like a mindless robot. The different tones he use all sounded so hollowed to Tsuna when he watch it through the screen. It was scary. It was even scarier when he realized that the person who was giving off this impression was himself.

"_One week, huh…That's not enough time._" That single sentence snapped Tsuna attention back onto the screen. Vuoto had sounded worried…sincerely worry and it wasn't as hollowed as all his previous tones.

Then the hollowness of his tone returned with his next phrase making Tsuna wonder if he had imagined it before.

"_No actually, that would be just enough time."_

* * *

><p>Tsuna turns to face Chrome as a new plan quickly form within his mind. It was a long shot that it would work and the chance of it succession is lower than three percents, but he had a feeling that told him that three percents was all he needed. But in order for his plan to work, he first must make sure of their time limit.<p>

"Chrome-chan, do you think you could contact Mukuro?"

"Mukuro-sama?" Chrome looked confusingly at Tsuna wondering why Tsuna didn't tell her master what he wanted before their switch. She had been sent back for not even two seconds and the brunet was requesting that she should leave again.

Tsuna continued to stare at her making her more uncomfortable but she held back the feeling as she decided to try contacting her master. It had never worked before. It was always Mukuro who contact her; she had never had the courage or the power to actually make the connection herself. But the pleading look that Tsuna was giving her couldn't be ignored.

"I-I'll try…" she whispered just enough for Tsuna's ears alone.

The process of their mental connection was quite simple; a name and an image of the person she wish to contact was all she needed. Of course a stronger power equals a stronger and more stable link and that sadly was her only weakness.

Looking up in disappointment at not being able to make the link with Mukuro, Chrome had wanted to apologize to her brunet boss. She froze, however, at seeing him smiling at her in patient believe that she could do it if only she take her time.

For perhaps the first time in her life, Chrome wants to curse someone other than herself. She wants to spat at him for putting false hopes in her. What did he see in her that told him that she can do it when she had failed all those 695 times that she had tried? Why did he put such fate in such a weakling like her? What give him the right to believe in her success? She never thought that she could find a person she hates. But Tsuna had just made the list.

Chrome closed her eyes once more this time more to avoid seeing Tsuna than to try to concentrate on her mental link. She want to just forget that gentle face that said 'she can do it', but the more she tried, the more the image of the brunet seem to solidified in her mind's eye.

"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome screamed unaware that she had shouted it instead of just the planned mental scream she had intended. She wants her master to come and save her from the false hopes that Tsuna was giving her. The false hope that people can actually be kind and understanding.

The only one who could understand her had always been Mukuro. He could understand her because they share the same power, they share the same harsh childhood, and they even have the same lonely fate. How can someone who is surrounded by so many friends like Tsuna understand her? The boy even has an obsessed lover that would travel halfway across the world to find him.

"Mukuro-sama…" she was pleading now. Begging for her one and only important person to contacts her. She had to see him. She wishes to see him.

A small spark of indigo flame burns against the surface of the ring on her middle finger unaware to the owner herself as the whole room became silence at the sight. The flame soon crawled around her like a snaking smoke trail covering her whole body.

Tsuna smirk at seeing the first phase of his plan coming to fruition.

* * *

><p>"What's taking so long?" Vincent was beyond angry as he slammed the door to the cockpit open. The three pilots jumped in their seats but quickly got back to their task of keeping the plane airborne. It had been four hours since he had ordered the plane to turns back toward Namimori and based on the time since the plane had first started flying they should have made it back an hour ago even if they were going against the wind current.<p>

"Why are we still in the air?" he demanded. Flipping the switch on above his head, the captain gave manual pilot over to his vice-captain before getting out of his seatbelt in order to face his boss.

"Sorry boss, but it seems that we are unable to locate Namimori on the radar. I was about to report of this situation if it continued to persist since there are time that plane became delay due to weird radio waves in the air."

"Radio wave?" Sergio intercepted before his boss could take his anger out on the poor captain. They couldn't afford to lose such a well trained and experienced pilot over such a small matter and knowing his boss, the captain would have been dead for the careless answer he had given if his boss hadn't left behind his gun.

"It's just that for the past few hours, we had been forced to travel in circle. No matter which direction we headed in, we just flew back to the same spot." The captain led the two men toward the radar near his seat and pointed to a small blot of dark green much deeper than the surrounding greens.

"This here is an island that we had pass by twice already and yet we just kept coming back to the same spot."

"It must be the work of illusion!" Vincent glared at the dark green blot on the radar as if staring at it long enough would make it vanish from his sight. "It must be that girl again! First she seduced Tsu-chan and now she trapped us in some foolish illusion! I won't allows her to get anymore of her ways!"

Vincent pushed the captain aside and slide into the empty seat. Flipping the same switch he saw the captain pressed not moment ago, Vincent grabbed onto the steering yoke. Overriding the vice-captain command and ignoring the shouting from everyone around him, he plunged downward toward the ground. The whole plane tipped from his sudden action as men and women fell forward, some even managed to tumble into the doorway of the cockpit. Screams became uproars of cries and pleas as Vincent continued his mad dash toward the ground.

Ears were popping and people were barfing left and right as their screams still range supreme from the sudden speed change and quick descend through the atmosphere. The smart ones in the group had already grabbed a seat and buckled themselves into those nailed down chairs while others are clenching onto the armrests or nearest body parts of those who had secured themselves from their fall. Blood pressures were raising and a few occupants had fainted.

Sergio himself felt like he was on his last leg. But he must do something before his boss send them all into an early grave!

"Padroncino!" that single word took all that he got. He could feel the slimy, lumpy, bitterness of his dinner clogging up his throat. But he couldn't give up just yet, he need to get his boss back under control. "Calm down!", again he could feel the bitter substances threatening to block his message. His leg gave out on him at a jot from the plane hitting a strong gust of wind. His hand burns from the pressure he used to hold onto the armrest of the captain's seat.

He couldn't let it end like this! Sergio wasn't afraid of dying, especially at his boss' hand. No he would only be too happy if his death could help his boss in any small ways. What he couldn't stand was letting Tsunayoshi Sawada have the victory. Why does the Vongola always get what they wanted? He wouldn't allow that to happen! A plan quickly formed within his mind as he swallowed the disgusting bile back through his throat.

"You'll get us all kills! Then Tsunayoshi would forget about you!" The mention of the brat's name should snap his boss back to his senses. Sergio may hate that he had to result to using the boy in order to calm down his boss, but if it get them all out alive, he didn't care.

His boss was silence, but the slowing down of the speed and the sudden balance he claimed made him think that he had successes in persuading his boss. Then his eyes widen double in length at the words coming out his boss' mouth and the sudden shifted in speed.

"I don't care! As long as I get back to Namimori!"

* * *

><p>"What is it that you want?"<p>

There were many things that Tsuna had wanted but seeing that Mukuro almost screamed into his face when the man replaced Chrome plus the lack of mist or mystics special effects had shown Tsuna that the man was not in the mood to be playing around. Whatever had pulled him away was serious and most likely troublesome enough that even a hypocrite like Mukuro had shown his serious side. Although, his first thought was to make fun of the illusion for his sudden serious attitude, Tsuna decide it was better to just to head straight to the point.

"How much more time can you buy us? Can you still keep that bastard away from here for at a week?" Tsuna asked despite already knowing that the original estimated time was no longer possible.

"No" Mukuro simply answered, his mood returning to normal by the seriousness of Tsuna's question. "That crazy lover boy had just gone and crashed his plane."

Mukuro took a moment of pleasure in seeing that all eyes had turned in his direction in surprise, shock, and disbelieve. The quiet prefect in the corner even gave him a look of astonishment. Then he turns to see Tsuna's reaction only to receive a surprise of his own. Tsuna was facing his feet, but the boy wasn't depressed nor did he seem excited; it was more like his mind is elsewhere.

"I see…" mumbled Tsuna as he slowly lifted his head, "Three days. Can you prevent him from getting here for at least three days?"

Mukuro couldn't believe it. The brunet had done it again. It was like he had read his mind and knows that the Lillarosa's Don wasn't dead yet even thought Mukuro had told him the man had just crashed their plane.

"How did you know he is not already dead?" He just had to find out. He is the only one allowed to create mystery, not to have one show up without him knowing the answer.

"Because you're still alive." Tsuna smirked at him with that simple yet irritating answer. Then a frown appeared, "Also because that man is a five-stars pilot to the Italian Air Force at one time."

"That crazy man was a general? I thought he was just playing captain." Mukuro replied.

"Three days." Tsuna didn't like where Mukuro was leading their talk so he decided to cut to the chase once more. He hated talking about that man just as much as seeing or thinking about the Lillarosa's Don. Besides, they were wasting time talking about useless information that would do neither of them any good. "Can you get us at least three days?"

Seeing Tsuna points, Mukuro mentally calculate the distance of the plane crash site and Namimori before letting out a wide grin, "Sure thing, Tsunayoshi-kun~"

The effect was not as Mukuro had expected when he decided to used the suffix in the boy's name. Instead of annoying the brunet, Tsuna smirked at his attempted to irk him and throw the _ball_ back into his face.

"Then good-bye Mukuro-kun~! I don't need you anymore so you can go away. I'll promise to take good care of Chrome-chan for you since she can use the same flame as you." Mukuro's eyes widen at the notion of the brunet's words. But Tsuna didn't even give him any time to ask questions nor even to switch place when the brunet did it for him by knocking Chrome unconscious.

Gokudera was there to catch Chrome's unconscious body, being the only one who had been watching his boss the whole time. He had saw Tsuna gave him a signal to walk behind the girl. Yet he couldn't say that he expected to catch the girl.

"Now then!" Tsuna exclaimed turning to face the rest of his guardians and Reborn.

Unsurprisingly, Reborn was the first to speak up, "What is your plan?"

"Opening this box." Tsuna chirped holding out the black cube with silver and gold markings. "I will need all of your flames so light them up!" he ordered looking at every one in the room.

"Hibari-sempai~, why don't you go first!" he tossed the black cube into the skylark's face knowing that the teen would catch it with ease.

"Just light up the ring Hibari-sempai~!" Tsuna was cheering like a schoolgirl cheerleader, even going so far as to wave imaginary pom-pom into the air.

"Hibari! Hibari! Hibari-sempai! Light, light, light up the flame and stuck it in the box! Don't forget to light up the flame Hibari-sempai!"

Hibari send him a glare as a spark of purple flame light up on his hand. Looking down at it in surprise, Hibari admired the purple flame for a moment before Tsuna's annoying cheer annoyed him further.

He stuck the flame into the hole according to Tsuna cheering. Then he tosses the box back to the boy. He decided it was time to leave seeing that Tsuna had begun to ignore him after the black box was returned.

Hibari didn't care since he gotten what he wanted from the boy; information on using the flame. Now all he needed is to find some annoying herbivores in order to test out his theory; get piss off, get purple flame.

"Onii-san-sempai! Why don't you go next?" Tsuna asked once Hibari had left the room. He made sure to use the title 'onii-san' in order to get on the boxer's good side, but couldn't let go of the 'sempai' against the teen's request. It was a title that he refused to let go since it help identify him from his other self. No matter what, he and Tsuna were two different entities sharing the same container. He had his own personality and goal just as Tsuna had his and yet the two of them are still the same person.

It was a very confusing situation for them both, but Vuoto just pushed it to the back of his mind like he always does when he doesn't understand. There was just no point in worrying about things he can't control or understand. Those that he could control and understand are more important to worry about.

"But I don't know how!" Ryohei shouted.

"No problem sempai! Just imagine that you want to punch the box I'm holding!"

Ryohei nodded before getting into his boxing pose. Tsuna steady his feet to keep it balance and dug into the ground. He was aware of how strong the boxer's punch was going to be having seen it before when they had first met or to be more accurate when Tsuna had first met the boxer.

"Just a single punch." Tsuna told Ryohei unnecessary since the white haired teen had already sent a full blow punch covered in sparkly yellow light source right into the black box in his hand.

Tsuna was pushed backward until he reached the safety of the wall. Leaning his back against the concrete surface, Tsuna send a sharp kick behind him to further stop the impact. Even with the added support he could feel the stinging pains that his body had suffered through over the past day catching up to him at an unbearable rate. But he smile glad to have gotten two of the seven needed flames already.

Looking around, he saw Gokudera shouting worriedly from his position on the ground as the boy continued to support the sleeping Chrome. Yamamoto was holding Lambo back from trying to jump into the middle from Ryohei's powerful punch. Ryohei, himself seem to have only grown more energized from the extreme punch he had just pull off. Reborn was currently missing, but Tsuna just shrugged it off since the baby wasn't an important piece in his current plan.

Tsuna was more interest to see which of the next ring bearers would be able to light up their flame first; an overly loyal explosives thug, a naive baseball player, a little annoying boy, or their sleeping princess.

* * *

><p>"Great. Then meet us at Namimori Hospital tomorrow morning." Reborn heard the phone snapped off on the other line before his whole message had been received. He sighed at the terrible manner of the person on the other line, but smirk knowing that his bait had worked just as he had planned. It had seemed that things are finally returning under his control again. He wasn't about to hand his student life over to that creep just because they were the same person. Tsuna was a clumsy idiot and in Reborn reference, the boy should just stay that way unless Reborn make him change.<p>

Speaking of Tsuna, he wonders what the boy was doing when he felt a sudden vibration shook the entire hospital. What happened? He had just left them alone for less than five minutes and now he was feeling an earthquake? What did that guy do to cause an earthquake inside a hospital?

Pushing the door open Reborn got the picture the instant he saw the black cube in Tsuna's hand. Two of the seven gems surrounding the single hole at the top had been lit. The purple gem and the yellow gem were glowing brightly. He concluded that the creep had somehow gotten both skylark and the boxer to light up their flames. Although, Reborn was curious about how he got the aloof prefect to light up the box, he was more amazed with how the creep had gotten Ryohei to light up the box. With the boxer personality and the dent against the wall, he could see the image of Tsuna getting Ryohei fire up and probably attacking him with a dying will flame. The only thing out of his estimation was how fast the brunet had gotten Ryohei to light it up.

"Sensei~! Welcome back!" the brunet waved. Reborn ignore the brunet conduct to irk him in favor of gathering a better understanding of the situation.

"Beside Chrome, how are you going to get the other three to light up their rings?" asked Reborn. By his calculation, Tsuna's storm, rain, and dare-he-say-it lightning guardians will all need more than a day time to get their flame lit up. Gokudera would probably only need half a day but the other two were a normal civilian and a noisy cow. The cow would probably never be able to light up the flame even if he spends his whole life trying.

Tsuna chuckled as if to say he was naïve and to farther prove him right on that point, the brunet rephrased his question in a way that made him felt like the baby he looked to be.

"You meant how am I going to get Gokudera and Yamamoto to light up their rings, right?" Tsuna was either ignoring the cow or he was confident that Lambo is a better guardian than Gokudera who Reborn was supporting fully.

Tsuna laughed when Reborn remained quiet, not knowing how to answer the question that slapped at his pride at judging others.

"Don't worry. Your precious brother-in-law is still the best choice to be the right-hand." Reborn glared at him for reminding him about Gokudera's overly lovey-dovey older sister, Bianchi. The woman was a wonderful partner that he greatly respect and secretly fear, but for the life of him, Reborn just couldn't see pass the fact that she can be anything more than a work partner. Perhaps it had something to do with his body being that of an infant or perhaps it was because he couldn't afford to fall in love that he kept the woman at a safe distance away.

Gokudera was looking as if Tsuna had just crushed his last hope, unaware that the brunet was talking about him. He had never known that Reborn was married much less the fact that Reborn's brother-in-law was his boss first choice to be the right-hand man.

"Your estimation on Gokudera isn't wrong either." Gokudera head snapped up at hearing his name from the brunet. He was confused with the direction the conversation was moving; weren't they just talking about Reborn's brother-in-law, and a moment before that about lighting up their rings? The flow of the conversation was so detached that he was didn't understand what his boss and Reborn was talking about anymore.

Tsuna smiled at Gokudera and he couldn't help it but blush since he didn't understand why the brunet was smiling at him.

"Gokudera would need about half a day…no..." Tsuna gave a look that say he was reconsidering his calculation, "maybe even just two hours would be enough."

Reborn widen his eyes at the confident in Tsuna voice at the short time limit the boy had given Gokudera. It was a surprise since Reborn was sure that Tsuna estimation would be correct. If the boy had say two hours, it would be two hours exactly.

"And the other three?" Reborn asked in order to get the time he had to wait for the black cube to be finish loading on flames.

"Tomorrow morning before your guests arrive." Tsuna smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, how is it? Please review! <strong>

**Anyway, next chapter Tsuna will try to get the other three to light up their flames, while Reborn's guests made their way to Japan.**


	19. A New Day, Another Sky

**From Last Chapter: **

_Afraid of Reborn's punishment, Tsuna gave possession of his body over to Vuoto which in turns made many of his friends realized that he had a personality disorders. During their talk, Mukuro suddenly disappeared because Vincent had decided to crash his plane in order to escapes from the illusion he was trapped in. _

_With a time limit of only three days, Tsuna decided to open the black box weapon that came with the Vongola rings. So far, he got two out of the seven gems lit with flames; Hibari and Ryohei. At the same time, Reborn had called for back-up. Can Tsuna get the black box open before their guest arrive, like his intuition had said or will he wasted the three days time Mukuro is getting for him?_

**Chapter 19: A New Day, Another Sky**

Somewhere in Southern Italy, two men made their way up the steep trail of the forest mountain nearby the city of Sicily. One was a bearded old man in his sixty. His messy white and black hairs were sticking out randomly from under his red wooden cap. His face held rough features yet his eyes were soft and gentle. His tanned skin shows that he was an outdoor man despite the heavy grey jacket and trekking poles in both his hand. A large grey-blue hiking bag strapped to his back didn't even slow him down from the steep trail they were on.

In contract, the man beside him looked to be in his thirty, but he was having a hard time trekking up the steep. His face wasn't as darkly tanned as the older man but he was still a great deal tanner than those of Italians birthed; a trait that told others that he was an athlete or at least a person who spend his time outside more often than not. He was carrying a similar hiking pack and sported a similar jacket of green. Around his neck lay a professional black camera. But unlike the older man he was sweating bullets despite the chilling autumn wind.

"How much longer till we're reached the top?" asked the younger man. He was tired after having to awaken four hours before the sun even rise to hike up the infamous mountain known to the local as 'Monte Senza Ritorno', the mountain of no return.

Why was he traveling up such a mountain could only be blame on his overly obsessed boss. His boss was a weird man with a weird hobby; the hobby of wanting pictures of the death. Body parts and gruesome battle scenes were his favorites. Although, when ones think about the man professional it was very understandable. The man was a famous horror film director and it was only thanks to his weird hobby that his films got top ratings around the world. Yet that didn't make it any easier for his only apprentice.

Rio had been ordered to get some pictures from Monte Senza Ritorno since the place had been rumors by the local to be a haunted hunting ground. The spirits of those dead animals that used to live in the forest was protecting the creatures that were still alive by attacking any and all humans who dared to enter their territory.

The strange things is the fact that lately even animals that lived there were also starting to die. With that strange news, some group of teenage boys had decided to play a test of courage and venture into the forest. Those boys were never heard from again. The police had told those boys parents that the search for their bodies were cancelled due to the higher upper command, which lead to more rumors about some nonsense Mafia group kidnapping the boys and using the animals for some kind of bio-experiments.

Rio shook his head to clear it of all the false rumors. He was here for one thing and one thing only. That was to get some pictures of those dead animals and humans if there really any as the rumors had claimed.

Walter chuckled at the young man lack of energy. Secretly he prided himself for still being in perfect shape after all these years. "It will be another half hour until we'll reach the top." Looking down at the black wristwatch his daughter had given him for his 63th birthday two months ago, he determined that the sun would be rising soon.

"We should hurry; this place will be dangerous once the sun is up." The old man's voice lower consistently without his knowing and he found himself walking at a quicker pace.

Having lived near the base of the mountain for his whole life, he was well aware of the dangers that lurk within the inner forest. A beautiful crafted mansion had made it home there about thirteen years ago and his peaceful life was ruined by its existence. For inside that mansion live six madmen.

Each one of them were crazy and the only reason he had not yet chased them off was because he had saw a fellow neighbors charged into the mansion to demand their move only to have his body parts returns to his family the very next day. The family had promptly contacted the police after that, only to have those no good tax-stealing officers send them away for false charges against those men.

Needless to say, Walter stopped trusting the police and only work to protect himself and his daughter from the mansion of crazy bastards.

Over the years he learned a bit about those men. The fact, that they love staying out late and sleeping in late. They often kept to themselves, only killing those who entered their territory. They can be quite loud at time. They were rich bastards with their hand deep within the politic world. Other than those facts, Walter couldn't find out anything else about those men but he suspected that they were involved with the Mafia in one way or another.

As Walter quicken his pace to reach the spot where he knew to be those crazy bastards training ground, Rio tripped against the uneven road. Walter turned around to help his client back on his feet, only to find the younger man fallen face first into the bushes. He couldn't help it as he let out a laugh at the chic situation where a person would fall into a bush and not just any bush but the typical poison ivy bushes no less.

As he was about to extend a gloved hand to help the younger man out of the bush, he heard movement from nearby. Instinct told him to hide and with an inner self cursing, Walter jumped into the piles of poison ivy, pushing Rio farther down onto the ground. He ignores the protest from Rio when the man had tasted dirt from having his mouth pushed against the forest floor.

He ignored the itches that started to crawl at his unprotected face and slowly through his body. He ignored the scattering animals that were rushing pass his hiding spot. For Walter know that if he didn't ignore his discomfort, a much worse fate will be awaiting him.

"Boss" Walter almost had a heart attack when a tall man in black stopped a short distance from his hiding spot. "Should I take care of them?" He was directing the question to a younger looking man. The guy ignored him as he slowly made his way forward closing the distance between the ivy bush and himself. Walter felt a chill crawled against his spine as the man walk closer.

Another man appeared out of nowhere began laughing a blood-chilling laugh as he walk toward the first man, "That was a stupid question." He told his friend. "We're in a hurry, boss wouldn't want to deal with those small fries when he's about to have the entrée present before him on the silver platter."

"Small fries?" another man had appeared from the thick forest, "I can't completely agree with you on that. One of them look pretty tasty to me~"

"I'll get that for you if you pay me." A bodiless voice replied to the last comment.

The man look as if he was actually interest in the offer and was about to give his answer when yet another man with long hair appeared. He looked to have a permanent frown upon his face as he glared upon the three men standing around the clearing.

"What are you slowpokes still doing standing around!" the long hair man screamed, "Hurry it up! We got a plane to catch! That bastard of a boss will give us hell if we make him wait!" At his simple statement the four voices scattered after the black hair man who had already walked passed Walter and Rio's hiding spot with a raging looked on his face as if he was going out to hunt a very annoying prey.

For perhaps the first time in his life, the prideful Walter pitied the person on that receiving end of that black hair man's gazed.

* * *

><p>At the hospital in Namimori, Tsuna was putting on his yellow school coat. The lack of white undershirt was made clearly visible by the large 'v' neck style of his coat despite the brunet attempted to button up the coat. If it was the normal Tsuna, standing there he would be blushing like a virgin maiden for the lack of cover on his body, but Vuoto could only smirked into the bathroom cabin mirror before walking back out into the room where his friends were waiting.<p>

"I'm going out for a bit." Tsuna answered the confused stares directed toward him. "Lambo, come along, I'll take you to the park." He bended down to picked up the excited kid when Lambo heard that they were going out to play.

"Yamamoto" Tsuna paused on the way out the door to speak with the Japanese teen, "Just a food for thought that will help you with lighting up your ring" again he paused allowing the baseball jock to comprehend that the message he's about to give was of great important, "A question…Do you preferred the Tsuna that you got to know in school or do you preferred the Tsuna that you are slowly getting to know? You are the most likely out of Tsuna's choice ofguardians to be able to live a normal life if you were to back out now. Just turns your back on this whole mafia business and returns to being the baseball star that you are. Forget everything you know about Tsuna and _never_ come near us again."

Yamamoto flinched at the tones the brunet used. He had never felt so much hate use within a single word before. Even that time on the rooftop when he saw Tsuna acted like an out-of-control beast seem to pale in comparison when he compared the two situations.

Last time, he felt scared by the brunet's action, now he was scared of the brunet's word. Yet at the same time, an un-indentified emotion was bubbling within the depth of his stomach; both last time and this. Something that was not fears. Something that he couldn't understands. Something he didn't want to admit to himself.

"Don't take this game of mafia lightly Yamamoto Takashi." Tsuna used of his full name brought back his attention to the brunet. The boy was glaring…no it was more of a stoic look that give the feeling of getting bitten by a snake or even a tiger. "Once you start playing, you can only end it with your very life." Tsuna then turns to Gokudera when Yamamoto became even more speechless at his warning.

"As for you, Gokudera, please take care of Chrome-chan. I promised that sassy man after all and she will be a great substitute for that guy when she awake."

"Y-yes, Juudaime!"

Tsuna left the room after that when Lambo started whining about the long wait. Ryohei followed after him saying he needs some extreme exercise after being indoor for so long. Reborn, however, had once again disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Ha-hi! Tsuna-san took Lambo-chan to the park?" Haru asked the storm guardians when she and Kyoko returned to the room with a surprisingly hard to find box of bandage. Fuuta was currently carrying the box to his chest. He had explained that because he was going to be a member of Tsuna family in the future, he should start practicing on how to be a gentleman since mafioso are supposedly gentlemen of the highest orders. This was something he learned from his old family before they send him out into the world.<p>

As for I-pin and Dr. Shamal, the two had disappeared during their searches and have still not returned.

"That's right!" growled Gokudera. He didn't even bother looking up at the group of three, fully focusing on the ring on his hand. His boss had told him that he was able to light up the ring in two hours time and he was going to do it just to prove his boss's fate in him to be correct.

So far from the information he had gather during all of his boss' inconsistent dialogues with Reborn and the baseball idiot, he had learned of two very important facts. First was the fact that the ring can be light by a dying will flame. Second was lighting up the flame will require some sort of understanding of oneself. Yet for the last hour since his boss had left him and another thirty minutes since Yamamoto had left, he still couldn't light up the stupid ring; he was now left with a half hour time limit.

"What about onii-san?" Kyoko asked.

"Turf –top had also left with Juudaime." Gokudera finally looked up with a glare, his mind cursing the boxer for how lucky he was for getting to hang around the boss while he was suck babysitting the illusionist.

Then all of the sudden, as if he had heard them talking about him, Ryohei Sasagawa's loud voice was heard from below the hospital room they were in. Kyoko instantly rush to the window to see her brother walking back into the wide entrance. Behind him Lambo was chasing him with a small brown bag in his hand. Tsuna was behind the two wearing a loose black t-shirt, his yellow school coat hanging on his shoulder.

Kyoko couldn't help it but back away from the window blushing when Tsuna suddenly turns his head up toward the window, at her. Could he have seen her taking a peek at him? She shook her head reasoning with herself that even if she was staring, it was only because she was worried about him since he wasn't supposed to leave the hospital with his injuries.

"Is Juudaime back?" Gokudera asked stand up from his seat.

Chrome also stirs awake from the noises. Looking around the spare bed beside the destroyed one, she was slightly shock when she discovered that her current boss was missing. Panic, she jumps off the bed ignoring Haru and Fuuta exclaims that she should stay in bed if she wasn't feeling well. Her mind only thinking of how Mukuro would see her now that she had failed in her task to protect the brunet.

"B-Bossu!" Chrome stopped a few feet from the door when the brunet somehow reached the entrance to the room before her.

"I didn't know you miss me that much, Chrome-chan." Tsuna's tease had earned a blush from Chrome.

"I-I'm not…" Chrome tried to deny but failing deeply when her heated face betrayed her.

"Really~?"

"Haru missed Tsuna-san!" Haru jumped into his holding arms interrupting the illusionist from her answer.

Tsuna just lightly chuckle as he patted Haru head, "Yes, I miss you too, Haru-chan" He gentle pull away from the hug in order to pick Lambo off the floor as the little boy ran into the room before placing the kid in Haru's arms.

The girl immediately cried out in happiness to have the kid back in her care as Lambo told her about their trip to the park which was cancelled because of some construction work. Tsuna had then insisted that they went shopping instead and brought Lambo a bag of candies. The little boy reached into his brown bag to pull out a cherry flavor jawbreaker.

"Can Haru have one?" the brunette asked only to be refused moment later.

"Now, Lambo, a mafioso is a gentleman." Tsuna scolded earning the little cow's full attention, "A gentleman doesn't make girls cry."

Lambo looked longingly at the piece of red candies in his hand before firmly shutting his eyes in order to hand the jawbreaker over to Haru.

"Don't cry!" Lambo firmly stated but whether it was to himself or Haru could only be known to him since everyone could see that Lambo's eyes were beginning to water as he handed out the candy.

Haru accepted the candy proudly before showering the boy in praises.

"Yes, Lambo did such a good job today." Tsuna added to the praises showing Gokudera and Chrome the black cube that was in his pocket. "He even lit up his flame on the first request."

"After you bribed him with those candies." Reborn suddenly appeared sitting on Ryohei shoulder as he entered the room.

"Don't hate the method just because I've prove you wrong, Sensei." Tsuna commented with a smirk not hiding from his face.

Reborn glared at him.

* * *

><p>Tsuna jumped behind the orange cover within his inner mind as if the television screen and the safety of his mind itself wasn't enough to protect him from Reborn. The glare the baby had sent him spoke volume; it was a warning that told him to return soon, or suffer through hell.<p>

But if Tsuna was to suddenly return now, Reborn would figures out that he could had return sooner but didn't. That would have been like walking into his owns death sentence. In the end, he was going to die whether he return now or later!

Vuoto on the other hand, was perfectly fine dealing with Reborn. He was probably even on par with Reborn in strength seeing that the little baby had not landed a blow on him as of yet. Vuoto even got Hibari, Onii-san, and Lambo to light up their flames. Haru, Kyoko, and even Mukuro's girlfriend seem to like him.

"Juudaime!" Tsuna's heart seems to clench even more when he heard Gokudera calling his other self by that name. Was he jealous that his best friend was calling someone else with the name that he had grown attached to?

On the screen, Tsuna watch as Gokudera backed away a couple steps from Vuoto when the brunet sends him a glare for some reason.

"Where do your loyalty truly lie Hayato Gokudera? Is it with Tsuna or Vongola?..."

"It's with Tsuna of course!" Gokudera answered without a second thought. Vuoto looked a little surprised having not exactly finished his entire question before the boy had suddenly answered him.

"I know what you want to know!" Gokudera exclaimed, "It my loyalty with you or Tsuna, right? The answer is always going to be Tsuna!"

Vuoto smirked at the huffing teen, "Oh, how did you figured that I am a part of Vongola?"

Gokudera was about to explain his reasoning when he found a flaw in his planned explanation. Why did he label Vuoto as part of Vongola and not on Tsuna's side? Didn't the boy even said so himself that he was a part of Tsuna. So what made Gokudera label him as a Vongola and not a Tsuna's supporter?

Vuoto smirk grew wider, "My question before was a choice between Tsuna and Vongola, not between Tsuna and I? So what made you choose Tsuna over me?"

"I-I don't know! But for some reason I just can't see you as Juudaime!" Gokudera screamed.

"But didn't just call me 'Juudaime' a while ago?"

"'Juudaime' is just but a title! I call you that because you are still the next successor to Vongola! Your body still belong to Juudaime, but you are not Tsuna…GRRRG…do you even understand what's I'm trying to say?" Gokudera was frustrated. He had never felt so tongue tied as he was now.

"Tsuna is the first person to accept me! Not you! But you are still Tsuna, so I will follow your orders but I wouldn't give you my life!" Gokudera finally shouted.

Tsuna felt his eyes closed as Vuoto did the same on the other side of the screen. While Tsuna close them to prevent the tears from falling, Vuoto did it for the peace Gokudera had given him. The feelings were the same between the two extreme, both were feeling happiness at the storm guardian's word even if the reasons were different for each ones.

* * *

><p>"Gokudera, you baka!" Tsuna sudden cried of insult shock not only Gokudera, but Reborn as well when he realized that his dame-student had come back. "Don't talk about giving up your life so easily!" the single statement had sealed the fact firmer within Reborn's mind that this was indeed his student and not that creep.<p>

"Juu-Juudaime?" Gokudera asked still not believing that his friend had returned. He didn't know what made him do it, but Gokudera fling himself into hugging Tsuna at their sudden reunion.

"Baka!" Tsuna cried finally releasing the tears of happiness he was holding back; afraid that if he cries all his happiness would have washed away with them. Yet even with that believe, he couldn't help but release those watery trails from his eyes.

"I don't deserve you as a friend!" Tsuna wailed, "I'm selfish and cold! I killed more people than I can remember! I've committed more crimes than you can imagine!"

Haru, Kyoko, and Ryohei were shocked at the confession having never seen Tsuna crying like this before, but more so at the information he had given away. Fuuta just looked down at his red book not daring to look at Tsuna for his part in bring the boy back into the danger of the mafia world with his request while Lambo just hold tighter the bag of candies in his hands wondering if he should share some with Tsuna. Chrome only silently watched for she know what it like to kill while not wanting to. She, too, had kill her fair shares.

Gokudera hugged him tighter having already known about Tsuna's past and having grown up in such a world.

"It's alright, Juudaime. It wasn't your fault. You haven't wanted those kinds of things to happen." Gokudera comforted as Tsuna only seems to cry harder into his chest. "I'll promise you that you don't have to do any of that again!" Gokudera screamed over the wailing not noticing that a spark of red flame was lighting up on his ring.

"Alright, enough of the sappy talk." Reborn hit them both behind the head with a Leon-fan which cause them both to back away from each other. Tsuna snuffed his runny noise as he wiped away his tear-stained face. Gokudera just turns away with a slight blush.

"R-Reborn…You're a-alright?" Tsuna asked finally remembering that the baby hitman was back and he probably had a lot to explain.

Surprisingly, Reborn just gave him a calm answer, "Yes. Are you alright, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Y-yes" Tsuna felt a little guilty now that he discovered that Reborn was worried about him. Too bad his guilt betrayed him when Reborn realized that his student had things to hide from him.

"Dame-Tsuna..."

Tsuna gulped, trying to clear his clogged up thoat as he look around the room for an escape route.

"...you could have returned earlier, right?" Reborn inquired send Tsuna running for the bathroom door only too late when he realized that Leon had transformed into a brick wall to blocked his way.

Needless to say, that evening Tsuna learned to NEVER lie to the baby EVER again!

* * *

><p><em>"Yamamoto-kun!" Tsuna cheerful voice calling out his name as the boy walked over toward his desk. He smiles in returned this being the first time Tsuna came over to him before he could approach the brunet.<em>

_"I'm going to show Gokudera-kun and Reborn around town tomorrow. Do you want to come?"_

_"Really? You don't mind if I tag along?" Yamamoto asked having never thought that the day would ever come when Tsuna wouldn't mind his present._

_Tsuna gave a small hesitated nod, but it was a nod nevertheless. He smiles even more knowing that the brunet was at least trying compared to their previous year._

Last year, during their first year at Nami-chuu, when Yamamoto was suddenly assigned to be Tsuna's project partners since the two of them were late that day. Their history teacher decided that as punishment, the two were to work on a presentation about the next lesson. That was the first time he had even learned of the boy existence after being classmate for three months. The brunet was often quiet and so easy to fade into the background that he never realized that the rumored Dame-Tsuna was a classmate of his until that very day.

The first day, they worked together, Tsuna had insisted on going to the library when Yamamoto had asked about going to his house. They work in silence despite Yamamoto attempts to bright up their gloomy and boring assignment with talks. He had talk about the baseball he love, the latest music, the popular TV shows currently on, and even the normal introductory questions people would often ask when meeting new people like 'what is your favorite foods?' or 'where do you live?'

Tsuna had just ignored him the whole time working on their assignment in silence.

The next day he couldn't help but notice the brunet now that he knows about the boy's existence. He learned the reason why the boy was calling Dame-Tsuna. But he also notices the abnormal avoidance Tsuna's body reacted toward others students. More often than not, Tsuna only tripped when he got too close to another person.

To test his theory, Takashi had later that evening try to touch the boy with excuses of reaching for a book on the brunet's far side and accidental brushed their hands. Each time, he noticed Tsuna became really clumsily. He stopped his actions once he filled his curious, and things returned to normal after that as he once again only focus on baseball.

Then less than three months ago, that kid, Reborn appeared and Tsuna suddenly start smiling. Soon Gokudera enter the school and he got to see Tsuna braving to touch the transferred student in order to get the boy in dress code. He admitted he was slightly angry at the prejudice Tsuna had shown. It wasn't even a full week previous that he had tried getting close to the boy again out of the goodness of his heart; only to have the boy slapped his hand away. A part of him told him that Tsuna was just like the rest of his classmates; fearing the punishment from Hibari, but another part just felt angry at the unfairness Tsuna had shown.

He decided to invited Tsuna to lunch that day when the boy's stomach rumbled once again. Having to sit next to the brunet for the whole day, he was growing tired of having to hear the boy's growling stomach time and time again. It was just getting annoying so he took his chance and invited the boy to lunch.

After that single moment when Tsuna smiled at him, Yamamoto couldn't find it in himself to leave the boy alone. A part of him says it was because it was fun hanging around Tsuna since Gokudera was also there to be annoyed by him. The other part was later explained when Tsuna attacked Vin Contiello, another transferred student from Italy.

After realizing that he like hanging around Tsuna because of the honesty the boy shown on his face, Yamamoto soon found himself time and time again drawn to Tsuna's honest personality that contrast his own hidden façade. But this new personality of Tsuna, Vuoto, was just too much to take. Vuoto was like a mirroring image of the part that he hate about himself; a sneaky, selfish bastard that would use other people for his own purpose.

"_Do you preferred the Tsuna that you gotten known in school or do you preferred the Tsuna that you are slowly getting to know?"_

What did the bastard mean by that? Of course he likes the Tsuna that he gotten to known in sch…no perhaps the Tsuna he was slowly getting to know. He wasn't sure. Yamamoto Takashi only knows that he like the Tsuna that always seem to show his honest feeling on his face. The Tsuna he known in school had always been hiding his feeling deep within himself, but the Tsuna he was getting to know was frightening him. A killer, a mafia boss, a guy with a personality disorders…Tsuna was becoming more and more confusing to him.

He thought he could just ignore all those fact about Tsuna as long as he get to stay by the always honest brunet, but with this new personality disorders person claiming to be Tsuna as well, Yamamoto just didn't know how to take it. Can he still act normally around the brunet? Can he be himself?

A shocking answer made him snapped his head up from his knee. "I was acting according to my feelings. I was happy with Tsuna…I was mad at Vuoto…I was acting according to my feelings!" he repeated again as the statement grew stronger. Yamamoto laughed, a bit hysterically at the facts that lay bare before his eyes. Whether it was with the honest Tsuna or the sneaky Vuoto, Yamamoto Takashi had always been himself. He never had to hide his true feelings with either sides of his weird friend.

"I'm guessing I do like the current Tsuna more." Yamamoto laughed getting up from the small medical closet he had found himself in after hours of limping through the hospital hallways. He laughed again at his weird choice for a quiet place to think. He should have just asked a nurse to get him a private room instead of hiding inside a closet. Oh well, it was too late to do anything about that now. He wants to get back to Tsuna's room so he can give the sneaky bastard the answer.

"If I gets to stay with Tsuna, even if the game is to challenge the mafia world or die trying, I would gladly do it!" Yamamoto cried cheerfully into the empty hallway, unaware that his ring burned with a light blue light.

* * *

><p>"Wow…" Tsuna was at a lost for word the very next morning as he stared at the black box in his hand. All six gems had been lit and the only one missing its light was the faded brown one which he suppose had to be his own flame.<p>

"Vuoto was right. All the flames will be lit by today morning" Gokudera finished for him.

Tsuna nodded dumbly at the accurateness of Vuoto's statement. He secretly wonders if perhaps his other half had some psychic abilities. Could he also have the same abilities?

"Why don't I tutor you on it?" Reborn sudden question send Tsuna into a mad shaking of his head. Oh how he hated Reborn's ability to read his mind.

"Hieee! There is really no need!" Tsuna didn't think he could handle any of Reborn's training at the moment when thought of last night punishment flashed defragmentedly within his mind. It was just too horrible to actually remember the full detail of his torture. All that he could remember were his screaming, something to do with Leon, and a grape jawbreaker that he was sure belonged to Lambo. Other than that he couldn't remember anything.

"Che" Reborn scoffed at his student's coward-ness.

"Maa maa" Yamamoto chirped, "Why don't you enter that last flame so we can finally see what's inside Tsuna." Yamamoto had arrived just recently after having a peaceful sleep within a single bedroom and had came back just this morning to add in his blue flame to the already packing black box. Now all they needed was Tsuna own flame.

Tsuna nodded silently praying that he can pull it off this time without Vuoto help. The flame soon burn on the ring and Tsuna release a relief sigh at the success before putting the flame into the hole like all the previous others. The moment he took the ring back out, the box shone a bright light of white and Tsuna had to shield his eyes as did everyone else in the room. He heard glass breaking, cursing by voices he never heard before, and an explosion.

Opening his eyes, Tsuna was surprised to see nine new people. A strange mixture of purple and pink smokes seems to intertwine within the other, but refused to combine together into a single color. The floor was littered with glasses and weapons. Chrome and Lambo had disappeared to who know where. Although, he was pretty sure Mukuro must have switched place with Chrome for the man was one of the new figures within the room. He was currently talking about hairstyles with a man in sunglass and dyed green hair growing out to his right.

Even Hibari had somehow gotten to the room during that short moment that he was blinded. Tonfas in hands, Hibari was fighting with a man using a pair of guns. Tsuna recognize the man instantly from his memory of two years ago just shortly before he left the mafia world.

"EXTREME!" Ryohei roared making Tsuna turn to see what had cause the boxer to be so excited. Yamamoto was fighting a long silver hair man with a bat as the other man charged at him with a metal sword that gleamed under the morning sun. Gokudera was jumping away from a rainfall of knifes, throwing his dynamite into the air every chance he got only to have them magically cut into piece before they even landed. A teen he never saw before was hiding behind a bed as a bearded man with a crazy hair style carrying umbrellas were smashing things with the black items.

A small baby dress in a black raincoat with a purple strips hood was beside Reborn, the two were ignoring the events unfolding before them as they have their small talk in whispers. Tsuna was at least glad that he had convinced Kyoko, Haru, and Fuuta to leave for home yesterday night. Kyoko was probably with Haru and Fuuta since Ryohei had declared that he would be staying the night. How would they have acted to the scene before them? Tsuna's answer: Lose consciousness with a scream of "HEEEII!"

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for all of you who have stick with me 'til now. You are probably thinking that this chapter isn't needed and perhaps you are right, but I think it was needed to move the story along. By now, I'm sure you all know who Reborn's guests are. If not, I suggest you go watch Katekyo Hitman Reborn again!<strong>

**I've seems to have made Tsuna fainted again. Oh well, you'll find out why next chapter. Thanks again for reading!**


	20. Revengeful Reunion

**AN: Soooooooo sorry for the late update! I hope this chapter will make up for it! Also thank you all for all the reviews from last chapters and all your patient! Thank you, **Thank you, ****Thank you!****

**This chapter is pretty rushed so there is probably a lot of mistakes, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. The story is about to come to an end maybe four to five chapters left, but I plan to make a squeal so I hope you will all continued to support me! Now onward to the story...**

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><p><strong>From Last Chapter: <strong>

_Tsuna is finally back thanks to Gokudera's confession of being a loyal friend. Vuoto had returned to the inner mind after getting Lambo to light up the lightning flame and Tsuna once again had controlled. With Chrome awaking from her sleep and Yamamoto new found determination to stay with Tsuna through thick and thin, they managed to lights all the flames, even Tsuna own orange flame. As the box opened, an explosion occurred and Tsuna found himself in a destroyed room with weapons scattered and people he doesn't know. Who are they and how will Tsuna deal with them?_

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><p><strong>Chapter 20: Revengeful Reunion<strong>

"Dame- Tsuna, wake up!" and the sound of splashing water could be heard within a single room inside the city's largest hospital. Those from the nearby rooms flinched or awaken from their sleep for the tone that had been use granted death to those that didn't abide by it order. Even those who were in a comatose statue would have awakened from the deathly voice of pure anger.

Coughing and stuttering Tsuna was awaken rudely to the ice cold water that Reborn had dumped on him. He wants to complains, but the words were soon found to be stuck in his throat before he was able to fully recover his speaking abilities.

However, not being able to speak was not the fault of the water blocking his airway. It was the sight of people in the room. Each of them had either a frown or a glare on their faces. Even his friend looked to be a bit angry at him for some reason.

Tsuna wondered what he did wrong. The last thing he could remember was opening that black box and then a group of strangers and weapons appeared. Did those men appeared from the box! Was it like what Gokudera had once told him about aliens and their teleportation devices! Was there a black hole inside the box that acted as a portal for those men with weapons! Were they aliens?

"Baka" Reborn kicked him behind the head snapping him back to reality, "Those men were baited—no I mean invited by me to come train you and your guardians."

The group of six strangers all send Reborn death glares but the baby just ignore them in favor of continuing his talk with his whining student.

"They came through the window, so make sure you pay for it Dame-Tsuna."

"HIIIEEE?" Tsuna turns to see if it was the truth only to regret it the second his head saw that the whole window and surrounding wall had been destroyed. Hibari growling face suddenly appeared and Tsuna slowly looked away from the open hole in the wall to see what punishment was awaiting him. He did remember seeing Hibari in the room before he fainted.

Looking around once, then twice, Tsuna start to wonder if perhaps the skylark had left the room. He also notices that the wavy hair stranger had also disappeared and Chrome had once again replaced Mukuro.

"What happened?" Tsuna asked hoping that perhaps Reborn could give him an answer. He never expects to receive an onslaught of flashbacks from his own mind.

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><p><em>Tsuna put the flame-lit ring into the hole of the black box. The whole room was then engulfed by light and everyone shielded their eyes. Sound of clashing, explosion and people screaming were the only noises Tsuna heard. The moment the light cleared, Tsuna open his eyes to a completely new scene.<em>

_Chrome and Lambo had disappeared. Mukuro had switched place with Chrome and he was currently talking with a man in sunglass and dyed green hair._

_Hibari was fighting with a black haired man who was using guns as his weapons of choices. Ryohei was cheering Yamamoto who was fighting a long silver hair man with a metal bat as the other man charged at him with a sword._

_Gokudera was having a weapons throwing contest with a blond. Rain of knife and dynamites juggled in the air between the two. A teen Tsuna never saw before was hiding behind a bed as a bearded man looked around for his target._

_Reborn and another kid were talking in the corner of the room. Being so overwhelmed by all the sudden chaos in the room, Tsuna fainted. After a moment of random chaos..._

"_Good morning mina!"Vuoto cheerfully greeted the large group. Instantly everyone send him a glare or a frown. _

"_What happened to Juudaime? Why are you back?" Gokudera asked the question that was on most of the occupants' minds. _

"_That's some greeting Gokudera." Vuoto whined before turning to Reborn, "Sensei can't you even control your guests from killing my friends~. You caused my other half to fainted."_

_His single comment insulted all three groups as each send him warning signs of a death-waiting-to-happen._

"How dare he say I couldn't control them after I baited the Varia here to trains them!"_ Reborn held himself back from actually shooting the brunet with consist reminders that the body still belonged to his dame-student._

"How dare that trash/scum/shrimp/brat/pleasant think that the baby/bastard was controlling us!" _the members of the Varia had never felt so unite as they did now as each of them fingered their weapons waiting for the chance when Tsuna would let down his guards. _

_Tsuna smirked at them as if saying that he wouldn't give them the tiniest chance to even scratch him._

_As for his own guardians, Tsuna could see that they were frowning or glaring at him with thoughts such as:_

"How can he have such little fate in me?"

"Bastard, you think I can be killed so easily."

"I only care what Tsuna think, not you jerk."

"_Now, don't be mad~" Tsuna whined as he slowly made his way toward the piles of weapons on the ground. Not taking a chance of letting the Varia nor his own guardians to have the pleasure of going on offense, Tsuna picks up three short swords off the ground before throwing them at Yamamoto._

_The jock amazingly was able to catches them between his fingers before it landed on his face. "Bastard!" Yamamoto cursed losing all sense of his usual calmness as he plan to throw those knifes back at the brunet. He only stopped when he was reminded that it was still his friend's body as Gokudera stepped between the two._

"_Don't you dare hurt Juudaime!" the silver-haired teen growled, holding both hand outward in a protected-stand._

"_Gokudera" Tsuna called made him turns away from his gasping friend in order to answer his boss' call. He quickly regrets it when Tsuna toss him a heavy bow made of the toughest wood. Topping on his feet from holding onto the weapon, Gokudera actually fell on his butt with Tsuna's next words._

"_Use this to defend me from Yamamoto."_

"_Y-you want me to k-kill him?" Gokudera couldn't even believe those words himself as he watches Tsuna smirk. _

"I _you want to…" Tsuna stated calmly as Gokudera's hand shake from holding the weapon that he was going to use to kill the jock. Sure he hates the jock for being so dense and nonsensical at times but he didn't want to kill him._

"_I-I can't do it." Gokudera felt disappointed in himself at failing an order from his boss as he dropped onto the floor. "I don't like him for many reasons, but it only because he seems to get along with Juudaime so much better than me! He's always the one to make Juudaime smile. Always the one that Juudaime would go to when he is in troubles. I just felt jealous toward him, not hate him enough to kill!"_

_Yamamoto looked a bit shock at the confession. He never took Gokudera's comments seriously, but he was depressed from times to times when the Italian carelessly called him names and yelled at him. That why Yamamoto got angrier at Vuoto for causing the once very prideful Gokudera to fall to his knees crying in confusion._

"_Stand up." Tsuna harshly ordered making Yamamoto see red for the brunet was adding more salt to the already wounded Gokudera._

"_If you are going to make accusations, you should just take responsibility for them!" Tsuna yelled. For a moment Yamamoto cowered in fear at the anger Tsuna had released. But he wasn't the only one in the room affected by those rage-filled eyes; almost as if the fire from the deepest part of hell burning at the poor defenseless soul or in this case Gokudera. The only one that didn't seem affected by the glare was Reborn as the baby too was staring down on Gokudera with a look of disappointment._

"_He's right, Gokudera Hayato." Reborn firmly stated, "He may be a creep, but he had never actually ordered you to kill Yamamoto Takeshi, did he? That statement came from you. Are you so desperate to be Tsuna only friend that you would believe that creepy here would order such a thing from his first two friends?" _

"_I-" Gokudera was at a loss for words as did everyone else in the room at realizing two very important facts within Reborn's explanation. One, both side of Tsuna still share the same thoughts and feelings. Two, Tsuna see them as his friends._

_Or at least those were the two reasons until Vuoto himself said otherwise, "I could care less about you, Gokudera Hayato. I don't care how you think about me nor do I care about anyone else for that matter. My only reason for existing is to protect my weaker self and I would do anything to achieve it!" The flame on his forehead suddenly burst larger before setting down, "Fortunately for you, my other self treasure you too much for me to actually kill you for thinking badly of us. That goes the same to all of you." He stated before kicking the rest of the items on the floor to Tsuna's guardians._

_Ryohei got a pair of white boxing gloves with matching headgear. Hibari caught the pair of silver handcuff before the items smacked him in the chest as the pair of shield and helmet did to the poor adult-size Lambo. Mukuro's items were small enough for the man to catch it before the small lens poke his eye out._

"_I see someone is still a bit cranky." Mukuro taunted, a bit angry at the rudeness Tsuna was showing as well as being left with a pair of useless lens._

"_I wouldn't be so quick to judge the item I have given you, Mukuro" Tsuna stated already seeing through Mukuro real reason for his taunt, "Otherwise, you will lose out on the true power of the weapon to that baby illusionist over there."_

_True to his words, Mukuro was barely able to dodge a sudden stream of vines shooting out from under the dark black hood of the kid who was previously talking with Reborn._

"_Oya? Why oh why would the greatest master of illusionist, Viper, be trying to steal from little old me?" Mukuro inquired as he continued to jump and block those attacking vines. "What could be so special about this little spying lens?"_

"_Not spying lens, Mukuro. Those were Daemon's favorite Devil Lens." Tsuna explained obviously enjoying the high-level illusionary fight between the two. _

_Even as he watch Mukuro became shocked at his explanation of the legendary item to every illusionists, the man was spewing out his own wall of fire, burning the tentacle that tried to choke him._

"_The Devil Lens? No way!" Mukuro exclaimed giving the item a new look, now that he know of it power. The power that said all the user had to do was glare through the glass in order to kill; it was the very definition to the saying 'if look could kill'. "Why don't I try it out?" Mukuro was going to enjoy this. He already had his first victim in mind and that was the irritatingly powerful baby illusionist who was still attacking him endlessly, only now it was with ice shards or more like diamond shards since those sparkly rock were flying pass his fire wall._

"_Don't bother." Tsuna laughing made him turns toward the boy despite the danger he was still in. "Vongola refitted the lens so many times now that the original power was lost. Now the lens only allowed you to see through illusions, judge the power of another illusionist, and act as a power boost to your own power if use correctly."_

_Both illusionists turned to him with surprise and disbelieve. Mukuro even fell to the ground sideway at learning how useless the item had become. But it was another voice that snapped at him._

"_How do you know all this, Scum! Only members of the Vongola should have that information!" Xanxus roared._

_Tsuna send him a smirk, "I learned of it with you of course. Don't you remember Xan-xan." The brunet even had the gut to pout as if he was sad that Xanxus doesn't remember._

Xan-xan? _How dared that Trash called him that! No one called Xanxus that! Not even his stupid father! No one in his family would even dare to called him by that n-…No that wasn't quite correct. Now that he recalled it, there was one person who used to call him that. A little annoying brat that always seem to get on his nerves. The little prick that he could never beat._

_He gave Tsuna a second look, taking in the boy every feature as if re-examining the boy he thought he knew. Brown hairs-check. Big auburn eyes-none. Too much baby-fat in his face-none. Short-height—of course everyone was shorter than him, so undecided. _

"_Arrrg!" Xanxus finally yelled deciding that matching a little boy in his eight-years-too-old memory with a person was stupid in the first place. He should just ask straight out if the brunet was who he thinks he is, "Are you my little prick of a brother? The old man grandson?" _

"_No." Tsuna stated as if he was hiding something, "I've just called you Xan-SAN since it easier to pronounce. You and I only met those two times when we just happen to go after the same targets. What I learned, I learned from Sensei."_

'Lair!' _Xanxus wanted to rebuke at Tsuna's change of word, only to have his thought interrupted by the adult-size Lambo who was pushing his way past the few scary looking men in order to grab onto Tsuna shirt._

"_Tsuna-nii! Why are you lying? Don't close yourself up like this! We—You have worked so hard to retur—urrg…T-Tsu—na—nii…" Lambo struggled to stay conscious from the sudden punch Tsuna had sent into his gut. _

_The brunet before him was not his Tsuna-nii. Lambo had known that, but seeing the man's golden sunset eyes shining so coldly, his voice filled with a sarcastic tone, the smile that doesn't reach his eyes; Lambo couldn't take it anymore. _

_His Tsuna-nii is always warm and kind. Honey-brown eyes that have always promise a warm sense of sweetness even on the coldest of winter's night. His voice's light and tired, but honest and strong. _

_When he is sad, he cries and asked for help. When he is happy, he would burst into your room even in the middle of the night just to share with you the wonderful news. When he is confused, he wander around their base with a daze look, hitting walls, doors, and those many crates that should have been dumped a long time ago but they have kept only because their boss was a cheapskate. Even when he is worry, you could find him locked up in the library going over the thousand of books they kept within those four walls. His Tsuna-nii's feeling could easily be read like an open book!_

"…_Don't…hide…your…" Lambo never got to finish when a pink puff of smoke surrounded him and the kid-size Lambo returned._

_Tsuna gave the kid a gentle smile that surprised a couple of people, as he sends the kid out to play._

"_Time's up for me." Tsuna stated looking at the others occupants in the room, "Xan-san and your little groupies please take care of my foolish bodyguards." He waved a good bye to them just before dropping on the bed._

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><p>Tsuna paled. What had Vuoto been doing? Why had he insulted everyone? Why did he call the Varia's leader Xan-<em>xan<em>? Why did he punch the teen-turned-Lambo? What secrets were Vuoto hidings? He was just too confused to even notice when Xanxus had suddenly picked him up like a sack of potatoes and tossed him over the shoulder.

He didn't notice his friends yelling at the man to let him down. He didn't notice Xanxus ordering his subordinates to pick a guardian and beat some skill into them. He didn't notice Reborn smirking. He didn't notice that he was carried out the door, out the hospital, out of town. Tsuna's mind was just too zone out and confused to even notice that Xanxus had brought them deep within a forest nearby a large mountain and a long stream river.

BUT, he did notice being harshly thrown on the rocky uneven ground before Xanxus growled out orders for him to gather some fire woods and set up camp. Why did he have to set up camp?

The kick to his stomach said that it was Xanxus' order and he was to listen or die.

So Tsuna picked himself off the ground and ran into the forest to gather some woods. He plans to take his time or better yet, he should just escape from the man but Tsuna didn't. He couldn't. The reason—Vuoto was sending him some kind of silent message saying that if he was to run from Xanxus, he would be running his whole life.

Tsuna fisted his hand. His feelings all messed up and confused. A part of him still wanted to run away. Another part told him that he was tired of running. That he wanted to finally settle down. He wants to stay here in Namimori with his friends! So he head back toward the river.

"Took you long enough!" Xanxus kicked him the moment he came back carrying an armful of dried wood. "I'm hungry! Start cooking!" the man then ordered.

Something inside Tsuna snapped at the rudeness that Xanxus had shown and he decided to throw the few twigs he was still holding into Xanxus' face. Needless to say, the two ended up in a fight where twigs, rocks, and even boulders were being thrown at each other.

But surprisingly to the hidden Reborn, who had made a nice little home within the face of the mountain, no weapons were used. It was more like two kids playing with each other using extreme playthings to get the other to agree to their terms. He was going to enjoy watching them, but wonder if this was really the time for them to be playing around with Vincent heading their way…soon.

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><p>Nine hours later, Tsuna dropped to the ground admitting defeated as Xanxus tiredly smirked at his pointless victory.<p>

"Y-yo-you'll listen to what I tell you, Trash!" Xanxus breathing was uneven, but he continued to put on a bravo show of his superiors endurance at lasting longer than Tsuna.

Unable to even sit up, Tsuna just glared at the evening sky. It was getting late and they have still not set up camp, set up a fire, eat any lunch, and dinner was fast approaching with neither of them having any energy left to move. "What a pointless fight!"

"Pointless fight?" Xanxus repeated having heard the shout. "Yeah…it was pointless!" he laughed when he realized the truth of Tsuna's words. He could have easily defeated the boy so much earlier if he had just used his gun! Why didn't he just use his gun to threaten the boy like he did everyday with Squalo and his other piles of trashes? Did he forget? Impossible! How could he, Xanxus, forget about his main weapons? He laughed even harder. How could this piece of trash made him forget everything he knows?

"Kid" Xanxus called out to the boy lying on the ground unmoving. He knows the boy was still alive even though he barely moved an inch because Xanxus could still see the brunet's chest moving up and down, up and down. He couldn't help a smile at seeing the slight movement of his breathing; it was weird. It was also weird that he had called the boy 'kid' and not 'trash'. What was with the change? Xanxus didn't know, but maybe it was more like he doesn't care.

"Kid" He called again.

Again there was no response from the boy.

"TRASH! GET UP AND MAKE DINNER!" He growled tired of playing nice when the boy didn't appreciative it.

When Tsuna still didn't make a motion to move, he swallowed his prided and strolled over to the boy if only to kick some sense into him. Before his boot actually landed on the brunet, he realizes the reason why Tsuna didn't response…the boy was sleeping. Thinking about it Tsuna was still badly injured and he must have pushed himself greatly during their 'pointless fight'. Xanxus laughed again at the phrase.

He sighed after a while, feeling the wariness from earlier plus the feeling of jetlag after being stuck on a plane for almost six hours with a bunch of trashes. He dropped beside the boy and fell asleep the moment his head hit Tsuna's shoulder. The kid made a comfy pillow, not that he would admit it as he found himself drifting off to sleep.

Tomorrow. He promises that tomorrow he would beat some strength into the kid. If the kid still fails to overcome his fears of those Lillarosa scum, only then would Xanxus steal his title of Don Vongola Decimo away.

"I'd missed you…"

Reborn cursed the location he had chosen when he couldn't tell which of the two males below had said it. It could have been great blackmail materiel if the person had been Xanxus. The man's pride would have been crushed.

While if it had been Tsuna, he could have tease the boy endlessly. But because of the positioning of his location, plus the fact that it was a moonless night, Reborn didn't know which of the two it was. Perhaps he could just use it on the both of them? But without any hard evident, they wouldn't admit to it. He sighed allowing the matter to be drop. Those two had a long day ahead.

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><p>Xanxus awoke to the smell of burnt fish and grass. The sound of animals' chitterling and tweeting cast a frown on his face as he feel around for his gun.<p>

He jotted awake when minutes passed and he still haven't shoot those annoying creatures to death. Where on earth were his guns? A quick scan of his waist band, shown that he was correct in assuming that his guns were indeed no longer there. In fact, his guns weren't the only things missing from his person; his chest and lower body parts had disappeared!

Or so he thoughts with his drowsy mind, until he realized that he was just being covered or should he say buried under a piles of dirt.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Xanxus screamed jumping out of the pile of dirt only to find that his clothes were spared from the dirt by a layer of leaves lying between him and the soil. He couldn't understand it. Why would someone try to bury him in such a thin layer of leaves and dirt?

Luckily, he found the culprit the moment he turned toward the river to see Tsuna jerking at his sudden yell as he dropped the fish on stick back into the fire.

"You!" Xanxus screamed, "Were you the one trying to buried me alive?"

"Buried?" Tsuna looked confusingly at him for a moment before the brunet start laughing. "No, I wasn't burying you. It was just to keep you warm, since you were whining about it being cold when I awake this morning."

"Stop lying! I do not whine! And you were obviously burying me in the dirt!"

Tsuna frowned. "I was not burying you! And for your information…You did whine!"

He thought for sure that the man would be grateful when he awake to the warm blanket that Tsuna had spend hours making, but Xanxus obviously didn't appreciate any of his hard work! He even went into the freezing morning stream and caught some fish for their breakfast.

"AAAAAH! MY FISH!" Tsuna exclaimed when he realized that he had dropped the already finished fish back into the fire. Reaching into the raging fire, Tsuna would have burned his hand if not for the gloves he currently had on, but because the heat transferred into the steel plating, Tsuna found himself dropping the fish once more as he removed the gloves.

Blowing on his hand to cool them down, Tsuna frowned at his string of bad luck. First he was kidnapped to the middle of nowhere by a jerk that love throwing things and ordering people around. He missed lunch and skipped through dinner only to awake to the loud snoring from Xanxus as the man whine about being cold.

Seeing the black coat on him had come from the man, he decided to return it after waking up. When Xanxus still complained about the cold, Tsuna covered him up with leaves only to find that they were being blown away by the chilly wind, so he cover them up with a thin layer of dirt. He didn't bury Xanxus! If he did, that annoying face of his would be underground by now!

Xanxus ignored Tsuna when he notices for the first time the pair of black steel gloves. Picking it up despite it still being hot, Xanxus examined it in shock.

"Kid!" He turned to face Tsuna, "Where did you get these?"

Tsuna turned away from Xanxus for a moment before answering truthfully, "From Reborn's suitcase. Why? Don't tell me he stolen that from you!" Tsuna sudden exclamation was earned with a sharp kick to the back of his head.

Widen brown orbs met onyx black in fear, "Reborn! Why are you here?"

"How dare you touch my things?" Reborn glared send Tsuna running toward the nearby boulder with a chant of repeated apologies echoing through the air.

"Your?" Xanxus asked Reborn when he realized that the baby would probably be able to better explain this to him than a naive kid.

Reborn smirked, "Why are you asking? You should know very well that those gloves aren't mine."

"Then why do you have it?" Xanxus growled, "Did that old man give it to you? Or did you stole it?"

"I don't steal from my ally." Reborn smirked knowing that Xanxus would get the message even without him explaining in full detail. He had to keep his student in denial of the truth so any information that could lead to the revealing of Vongola's greatest secret was strictly forbidden.

Xanxus turned to stare at Tsuna once more, "Then he is…"

"He is the same guy that beaten you those two time when you just so happened to received the same targets. No one else." Reborn cut him off.

Xanxus stare between Reborn and the brunet for a few second, before the frown on his face returned and he marched over to Tsuna, ignoring Reborn altogether.

"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Xanxus screamed as a burning rage took over his entire mind. The scars on his face deepen and spread like a wildfire as he picked up on the speed. Before Tsuna could understand what was even going on, he found Xanxus fist slammed against his stomach and he was send flying into the chilling cold water of the river.

Xanxus didn't seem to stop there as the man dived in after him, dragging him up only to punch him back down into the watery dept.

Tsuna struggled back. He wasn't going allowed himself to be killed! He made a promise when he switched with Vuoto. He chose to live! He can't die because Gokudera had told him that he would protect him. He can't die because Yamamoto had come back for him. He can't die because he was surrounded by people who wanted him to live!

Xanxus couldn't take it! How could this be? How could _he_ of all people be the same brat he know? How could he forget everything? Why couldn't he tell the boy? Why must he allow those bastards to steal away his only family? "Bastard!" Xanxus screamed echoed throughout the wood as birds flew from their nest. "I'm going to kill you!" So that my life could return to being simple…

* * *

><p>Ikuto sighed for the sixth times in his short trip from his office to the much detested room which belong to his little brother's toy and his friends. In just one day they had cause so much trouble for him from bring in over 30 patients to his already busy hospital to getting him into trouble with his little brother. The hits he receive after yesterday event still hurt! Plus he had to suffer through Masahiro share of punishment as well when the man was lucky enough to escape with the excuse of work. Perhaps he should switch job as well.<p>

Finally reaching the room, Ikuto sighed once more before plastering a smile on his face. Doctor should always have a smile so that they can make patients feel like there is nothing to worries about. It was his policy as a doctor and so Ikuto enter the room with a smile only to drop it second later as a look of panic replace it. The room was a mess!

The window was destroyed. Glasses and rubbles were everywhere. Leaves and dirt from the nearby trees had blown in bringing with it all sort of germs imaginable. A whole bed was destroyed including the new IV stand he gotten just last month. Not to mention that broken wall that those kid destroy just to avoid using the door like regular people!

And the one responsible had left the hospital without paying the bills! How was he going to get all these fix without their payments?

* * *

><p>"Lambo! No run!" I-pin shouted as she chased after the broccoli monster because her master had assigned her to train the kid. Master had said it was training.<p>

She quoted: "Training others is training oneself." But she still had her doubt that it was only to repay a favor to her master friend as a request to babysit the broccoli monster. Perhaps master wants her to train to be a babysitter? Why? _Master is a baby himself, right? So perhaps he is training her to take care of him?_

"Don't run! You might get hurt!" Haru screamed after the two from her seat on the bench next to Kyoko. Fuuta had found himself a spot beside a shaded tree where he could work on his book of records.

"Humph" Haru sighed, "No one listens to Haru! First Tsuna-san sends me away only to disappear! Then when we came to visit everyone disappeared! They even left Lambo behind!"

"Yes, that is strange…" Kyoko lightly commented thinking about her brother. He was reckless at time, but he wasn't the irresponsible type to just leave without calling home or shouting his leave for the day. Where had her brother disappeared to with the others?

"EXTREME!" The sudden scream answered her question when she looked over toward the other side of the park to indeed see her brother with two other men. Neither were people she know; one being tall and bulk, the other dressed flashy and thin.

"Onii-san?" Kyoko called out to get his attention as she ran over to him. "Onii-san! What are you doing here?"

"Kyoko!" Ryohei exclaimed in surprise. A happy surprise to see his little sister. "I'm here to do some extreme training with my two newly recruited boxing members!"

"Boxing?" the bulky man asked, "When did this become training for boxing? I'm only following boss' order to beat you into shape."

"Now, Levi, it doesn't matter. As long as we have fun with him, right~"

"Yeah! Extreme fun training!" Ryohei's roar of excitement was short lived when Leviathan growled at his partner.

"What fun? I picked him first, so why are you even here?" He screamed at Lussuria, "Go pick another of those brats to play with if you want to have fun!"

"But~ the only one left were a kid, the big mean wolf, and someone that currently a thousand miles away~ there is no one I like. Beside this guy here use sun flames, my flames, why don't you go train that kid over there, Levi?" Lussuria pointed in the direction of Lambo and I-pin.

"No way. You know the rule: first come first serve."

Lussuria pouted. "I was still choosing~ when you guys picked."

"Don't worry! I have an extreme idea!" Ryohei shouted when he heard their fight, "We can all train together for the up and coming boxing tournament!"

"What?" Levi was about to decline.

"Yeah~!" Lussria cheered.

Both their voice was soon drowned out by a loud explosion in the distance as people around the small park looked over to the nearby forest to see flying knifes and dynamites flying over trees that were suddenly sliced or uprooted. Needless to say no one wanted to be caught so they all left the area as Gokudera and Belphegor appeared from the wood still throwing unlimited number of weapons at each other before once again disappear back into the safety of the tree.

"EXTREME!" Ryohei looked excited as he turned to face his two trainers, "Let's go join them!" he cried before pulling the two men in the direction where Gokudera and Bel had disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Dad! I'm back!" Yamamoto cried into the quite little sushi shop as he slide the screen-like door open.<p>

"Wel—Oh Takashi! You're home!" the chef behind the counter cried at seeing his son. "And you brought a friend!"

"Yea!"

"VOOOII! I'm not his friend!"

"He brought a gift for you, dad!" Yamamoto said ignoring Squalo as the two made their way into the humble shop.

"Gift? You didn't need to bring a gift." Tsuyoshi exclaimed although, he was secretly happy that his son had found such a thoughtful friend.

"Yea, he even went to the beach to get it himself when I told him you own a sushi shop."

"I didn't bring it for you! I just wanted to eat sushi!" Squalo re-explained seeing that the jock was totally mistaking his purpose for bring a giant salmon to their shop.

Tsuyoshi mistake Squalo's explanation for being humble modesty, grabbed the fish off the man's hand and pushed him into a seat at the counter where he finally notice two very familiar face.

"VOOOII! Why are you here?" Squalo screamed at the mini illusionist as the baby calmly picked the toro nigiri up with a chopstick.

Totally ignoring his companion he popped the piece into his mouth, swallows, and took a slip of his steaming hot tea with a sigh of relief. Only then did he turn to face the steaming red face if his angry vice-captain.

"I was treated to sushi by my new student." He explained simply before once again digging into his plate of nigiri.

Chrome gave Squalo a nod before she too calmly went back to eating.

Needless to say Squalo exploded from the indifferent attitude those two had shown as Takasushi have their first very hard to deal with customer.

* * *

><p>"Midori tanabiku Namimori no…" Hibird sing as he fly around the open sky. He was a very lucky bird having found such a nice master in Hibari. Although, his master was quiet and at time a bit blood-thristy, he never hurt those smaller than him.<p>

Currently he is protecting his master's sleep for the man had been disciplining those bad men and ladies that were disturbing the peace. His master had been happy yesterday when he summoned a pretty purple flame.

Hibird didn't understand why, but he was happy that his master was happy and this was all thanks to 'herbivore' who found him and make his master happy. Herbivore should be happy as well, but Hibird had notice that the brunet wasn't happy. Perhaps he should get his master to make the Herbivore happy?

How does he get Herbivore to be happy? Perhaps he should get his master to peck (kiss) the brunet? His master seem to like pecking (bitting) others. He said so himself!

"Hibari! Hibari!" he awakes his master knowing that the time for patrolling was coming and the man was waking anyway.

"What?" Hibari asked the small creature as he took his time soaking in the warm sunlight.

"Herbivore! Training!" he reported as per-instructed by his master to observed the brunet.

"So he is training." Hibari smiled before getting up so he too can get some training done. The next time he see the brunet, he was going to enjoy their fight, but that is only possible if they were both evenly skilled. He can't allow the brunet to beat him no matter what happens.

* * *

><p>Mukuro watched the men around him work on packing up the scatter items around despite their ill state of beings. They were all scared out of their minds, not that Mukuro blamed them. He, too, was suffering from their latest fall from heaven. Tsunayoshi Sawada had own him big time and yet that bastard had the gut to knock him out of Chrome's mind!<p>

"He was going to pay once I get out of this fucking mountain valley!"


	21. Sky Hunt

**AN: Hiya, everyone! Hope you doing well. I'm so happy that you guys are still reading this. As I said before the story is about to come to an end only 4 or 5 chapters left, I believe. Anyway this chapter is mostly just a look into Tsuna and his guardians' training with the Varia and for some reason I find it a bit boring to write so it mostly just Tsuna looking for his guardians and learning what they might have done during their training. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Last Chapter: <strong>

_Having finally gotten the box opened. Tsuna as Vuoto passed out the weapons found inside to each guardian. They also met with the Varia who would be training Tsuna and his friends. Xanxus seem to think that Tsuna was his cousin from childhood, but Tsuna doesn't seem to remember him at all except for those two times where they were rivals on duties._

_As the guardians are pulled into their own training regime, Vincent's is preparing to escape the mountain valley where his plane had crash landed. Now, three days had passed, but is Tsuna and his friends ready to face Vincent?_

**Chapter 21: Sky Hunt**

"I won't die!" Tsuna shouted at Xanxus when the man once more fired a blast of flame right at him. He took advantage of the river and dived under. It was hot, but it was better than getting the full blast of the hit as Tsuna stood back up for the much needed air.

He felt grateful for the facts that the stream wasn't deep. If it had been, Tsuna would have been dead not by Xanxus' hands but by drowning. He was a lousy swimmer having rarely gotten the chance to learn to swim.

Crawling back onto the other side of the bank, Tsuna made his way into the nearby forest. A part of him warned him that it was pointless trying to escape for he had already failed the last three times he tried, only to be dragged back by Xanxus.

Why the man even bother dragging him all the way back to camp just to kill him, escaped Tsuna's understanding, but the man really does want to kill him, his intuition had been screaming it. Perhaps Xanxus was a different sort of sadistic from Reborn; one that loves to torture their prey before the final kills? Unlike Reborn, who's kept his hobbies and works separates. Probably? Hopefully!

Tsuna shivered. Pushing himself off the dirt ground, he gave Xanxus a strange look of confusion before turning to look toward the forest. Something was wrong.

There was no wind and it wasn't the fear of being kills by Xanxus that he shivered. So what was the feeling he was getting? What was the feeling of wrongness he felt?

"Bossu!" Chrome suddenly pushed her way out from the greenery of the forest as she marvelously dodged the sudden blast of flame that Xanxus shot out of suspicion of enemy's attacks.

"HIIEE!" Tsuna shouted in horror to see that Chrome almost got burned by the strong heat blast, having experienced them himself. In fact, her right shoulder seems to have gotten a little stung, but the purple haired girl only dashed forward nonetheless.

"Are you okay?"

"I lost Mukuro-sama!"

Both exclaimed at the same time causing Tsuna's panic to worsen when the message seems worse than it was.

"Stupid girl…" a clamer yet more childish voice called out from the bushes as Mammon made his way toward his boss.

"Boss" he greeted Xanxus before making his report, "The illusionist, Rokudo Mukuro had cut contact. I believe that mean our time is up."

"HIIEE? Already? But I'm not ready!" Tsuna exclaimed when he finally remembers the reason why he was stuck with Xanxus in the first place. Perhaps the real reason why he was still alive was that Xanxus had been able to remember the fact that they were training? The ethic of a professional? He surely hope that was the case and not just because the man like torturing his prey.

Reborn jumped down from who-know-where knocking Tsuna back down onto the ground.

"Reborn?" Tsuna was surprised to see that the baby hitman had been nearby. How did he miss him? Had Reborn gotten stronger during his capture or had he gotten weaker during their separation. "What are you doing here?"

The baby hitman gave him a smirk, "Did you really think that I would leave you alone with an assassin without _some_ guarantee of your safety?"

_Only some protection_? Tsuna shivered. Reborn wasn't really serious about letting Xanxus kill him right?

"Dame-Tsuna, no time to wastes if that man is heading this way. Go gather your guardians." Reborn ordered.

"What about Mukuro?" Tsuna asked worried that they had lost contact with the illusionist that even the Vendice had trouble catching.

"You said it yourself, Dame-Tsuna, he is the man that even have the Vendice chasing his tail, he'll be fine."

Nodding, Tsuna rushed back toward the direction of town with Chrome following after him.

Reborn turned to watch Xanxus for a moment before following after his student. Xanxus had looked angry, but he must deal with it for now; this was a state of emergency after all.

"Boss?" Mammon questioned, only to have his boss cut him off when Xanxus barked out order to follows after those 'trashes'.

"Trashes?" Mammon paused for a moment to take in the term his boss had used. Did his boss perhaps like that boy? He usually only used that term when referring to the members of the Varia. Everyone else had been labeled as 'scum'.

* * *

><p><strong>A mental report from Tsuna<strong>: _Chrome—Founded. Tutor: Mammon. Training Result: A secret but she seems to have improved in her connection with Mukuro._

* * *

><p>"Bossu…" Chrome quietly called out to Tsuna as the two raced down the thinning forest trail, "Where are we heading?"<p>

Tsuna shifted his eyes over to see the girl. This wasn't the first time he saw her, but it was actually the first time, he had talked with her. Before at the hospital, Vuoto had been the one in possession of his body and he was the one who did all the dealing with her. Her calling Vuoto by 'Boss' had been like her calling someone else 'Boss' so he had not been weird out by it.

But now, hearing her calling him 'Boss' was awkward.

"C-Chrome-chan. That's your name, right?" Tsuna asked, "Sorry if I'm not making sense, but I thought I should reintroduce myself."

She looked confused, but allowed him to continue explaining.

"I'm not the same person you met a couple of days ago. That was Vuoto. My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi. So…"

Again she stayed silence waiting for him to finish. Tsuna couldn't help but felt grateful for her silence patient.

"You can just call me Tsuna instead of Boss."

The silence as they entered town was killing him, but he allow her time to take in what he had said in order to returns the favor. She had been patient when he explained thing, so he should be patient in returns, right?

"I don't understand." Chrome stated causing Tsuna to come to a sudden stop. She didn't? He thought he made it very clear that he was not the boss that she has been speaking to, but instead was another person name Tsuna.

"What is there to not understand?"

"Mukuro-sama said that I was under your care while he is away. That makes you my boss, right? Since both sides of you take care of me, aren't both of you my bosses?"

_She got a point._ "Ehh, I guess you're right…" Tsuna laughed. _This was pointless. Why did he even bring up this conversation?_

"Bossu" Chrome called him again, this time she was not looking at him but instead over his shoulder. "Isn't that Lightning-san?"

Tsuna looked in the direction she had pointed. Indeed, it was Lambo. The little boy was running away from another child. A kid that he recognized is I-pin, Fon's student. Why was she chasing Lambo?

"Lambo! I-pin!" Tsuna called out to the two kids. Lambo being the first to see him, grinned widely before running toward him shouting his name in happiness.

"Tssuuunnnaa!" Lambo was about to jumped into his extended arms, when another voice tackled him in the stomach first.

"TSUNA-NII! You're back!" Fuuta exclaimed rubbing his face into Tsuna chest. "We all missed you!"

Patting Fuuta's head, Tsuna smiled at the kid. He was speechless, having never gotten such warm welcome before and not only from Fuuta as Lambo pushed the older boy away in order to get his own hug.

"Lambo-sama had given you a hug! So treat Lambo-sama to crepe!"

"Ha-hi! Tsuna, you're home!" Haru happily smiled before she, too, threw herself onto Tsuna causing the brunet to blush.

"H-H-Haru-san! H-how…how are you?" He asked trying to calm his heated face. Why was he feeling so hot all of the sudden? It didn't help when his eyes landed on Kyoko as he wonders why the sun heatwave feels even hotter than Xanxus' fire bullets.

"Kyoko-chan, hello."

"Welcome back, Tsuna-kun" the girl smile softly at him only to get one in return.

"Yea—"

"Get moving on finding the rest of your group of scums!" Xanxus shouted interrupting Tsuna's happy moment.

That was right! He didn't have time to be hanging around like this. He needs to find his friends! Quickly!

"Crepe, first!" Lambo ordered and for some strange reason Tsuna gave into the little boy's order. It wasn't like he knows where to search for the others anyway.

"Yes, let's get some crepe for Lambo first." Tsuna commented ignoring Xanxus look of impatient disbelieve as a large wave of killing intents washed over the area causing many of the general public to rush home as soon as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>A mental report from Tsuna<strong>:_ Lambo—Founded. Tutor: I-pin. Training result: Undetermined. The kid had been wasting time playing tag._

* * *

><p>Xanxus glared at the group of happy-go-lucky-trashes and scums. Oh…how he wish to squeeze their neck and break them apart limb from limb for being so carefree. Especially when you consider that one of those trashes should be worrying about the up and coming danger.<p>

Tsuna had brought Lambo and his friend to a nearby park where he purchased freshly made crepes for them under the watchful and very angry glaring eyes of Xanxus. Sure, he understood where the anger was coming from, but Tsuna couldn't allow the girls and kids to worry. They shouldn't be involved.

Lambo had already helped him more than enough. The kid shouldn't have to be force to fight. This was between him and Vincent, and no one else should have to get involved. This was his fight and his alone.

So here was the question: should he continue to look for his friends? He shouldn't right. He should look for Mukuro himself. The illusionist being missing was no doubt his fault. Why should his friends get hurt because of his mistakes?

As if Xanxus could hear his thoughts, the man's glare hardens. "Get off your ass and go get those scums you called your guardians!"

Tsuna looked at him in surprised having been caught off guard. He was just talking with Haru and Kyoko about Lambo when the older man just starts shouting the answer to his inner question.

Chrome stood from her seat at the edge of the bench and walked over to Xanxus' side. She looked at Tsuna impatiently, almost as if she wants to ask him to hurry up and search for her precious Mukuro.

Tsuna felt guilty. He had forgotten about her for a moment, as he found himself thrown into the comfort of false peace talking the Haru and Kyoko. He knew that Mukuro was important to her and that he had promise to help her find the illusionist. How could he be so thoughtless as to completely forget about her problem? She must be totally worried.

Should he explain that he plan to rescue Mukuro without his friends' help?

"Chro—" just as Tsuna was about to tell her his plan of actions. A sudden blast of explosion from the nearby forest caused him to turn away. Had he been found already?

No. Two males, one after the other, both tumbled out from the thick wood.

Gokudera growled at the blond prince that had been chasing him for the last three days. While he had used up all this dynamites, that bastards that kept retreating his knifes with help from his wires. Gokudera had been forced to use the arrows his boss had given to him before the brunet had been kidnapped.

"Dammit!" He was wasting times with this bastard while his boss could be dying! He must hurry it up! "Go! Gatling Arrows!" Four simultaneously arrows of burning red lava flew at it target.

"Ushishishi" the boy prince laughed when he once again dodged the storm arrows send his way. "You are never going to hurt the pri—" he watched in horror as a different kind of arrow suddenly flew toward him. This one much larger than the previous four and look much stronger. Belphegor growled in anger for a split second before sending his own storm knifes flying toward Gokudera.

The two attacked landed upon their opponent causing many of the nearby park dwellers to screams as they rushed away from the smoke screen that engulfs the area.

Tsuna rushed forward, seeing his guardian fall to his knee. "Gokudera!"

The called of his name, made the bomber turned to see his boss running toward him. All his pains forgotten Gokudera suddenly felt like a happy puppy greeting it master home.

"Itdiot! Didn't I tell you not to treat your life so worthlessly?" Tsuna scolded as he made sure that Gokudera wouldn't die. "Let's go to the hospital!"

* * *

><p><strong>Tsuna's Mental Report<strong>: _Gokudera—Found. Tutor: Belphegor. Training result: Successful. Able to use G-archery, but badly hurt. Dynamites are used up. Heeiii? Really? I thought those were endless!_

* * *

><p>"You guys again!" Ikuto growled at the patients he was told to treat. "You guys sure have guts to come back here after all the damage you caused!"<p>

"I'm sorry!" Tsuna apologized, "I will pay for all the damages! Just please treat Gokudera!"

Ikuto sighed at the sincerity in Tsuna eyes, "Don't worry, he not going to die…the boy injuries isn't as bad as it look. Most of it is just surface wounds." He diagnosed with a smile.

"In fact, he's doing much better than those other friends of your"

"Other friends?" A flash of panic crossed Tsuna's feature, "Who else is hurt?" Images of Yamamoto sliced to pieces, Ryohei beaten black and blue, and for a moment even Hibari crossed his mind, only the skylark look fine except for that single piece of bandage on his cheek.

"The guy with the loud voice…" Ikuto started to explain.

Hearing that Tsuna instantly thought of Ryohei. He rushed off to the room he knew Ikuto had putted the teen in with Kyoko shouting 'Onii-san' following right behind him.

"Ryohei-senpai!" "Onii-san!" Both of them burst into the previous room where the guardians had stayed in before to see Ryohei was indeed inside.

"Kyoko!" he looked surprised to see the girl worried and there is a reason for his surprise. He wasn't the one laying on the hospital bed. In fact, Ryohei didn't even look as if he was injured at all.

Too, bad it couldn't be said the same to the buff man with raven hair laying on the bed all bandaged up from head to toe. Even his mouth had been covered and both his legs hanging uselessly in supports. Lussuria lay on the other bed, he was only lightly bandaged compared to his partner. A long white gauze wrap around his head and his right arm put in a cast.

"Huh? W-What is going on? Onii-san, you're not hurt?" Tsuna asked looking at the man confusingly. In fact, Ryohei had looked as if he had just came out of a spa, all fresh and shiny as he greets Tsuna with a large smile.

"Sawada! You're back! How was your training? Was it extreme? Mine was extremely FUN!"

"F-fun?" Tsuna realized that he wasn't the only one who looked shocked. Lussuria and Leviathan had also found themselves asking the exact same question as Tsuna. What kind of training did they do?

"It wasn't fun at all!" Lussuria whined, "Boss~! You came to save me! This guy here is even more crazy than us!"

"How so?" Xanxus grinned. Perhaps he could use the boy's training method the next time he found his underlings annoying.

Lussuria immediately shut up, no longer feeling like whining to his boss and giving him ideas to use as punishment.

"Well?" Xanxus lured seeing that his men, both of them had decidedly avoided his eyes.

Then to both their horror, Ryohei opened his big mouth.

"We did push-up!" the boxer screamed.

"What the hell? Push-up? That the training you guys did?" Gokudera yelled.

_No, we did twenty-thousand push-ups!_ Both Varias screamed within their mind.

"Then we went on to sit-up!"

_Fifty thousand of those!_

"Afterward, we run around town!"

_Seven times!_

"Then we fight a friendly match of boxing!"

_Friendly? Total lies! That boy is way to serious!_

"We cool down with some laps around the school yard, afterward! Hibari even joined us!"

_We were being chased! Being chased! For five strange hours! Every day!_

Tsuna and Gokudera both felt a chilled at Hibari's name. If Hibari was involved, those simple trainings can't really be as simple as they had seen. The looks of horror on the two Varia's faces were further proofs. Xanxus, however, only glare at his two subordinates for putting down the Varia-quailty._ Oh no! He was being to sound like that Shark of a vice-commander!_

"B-By the way, Onii-san, is Hibari-sempai still at the school?" Tsuna asked. Perhaps having Hibari with them will be best. The man was a great fighter and Tsuna was sure that even if he was to join their fight, Hibari will be the one person who wouldn't die.

"Hibari?" Ryohei looked thoughtful for a moment, "I think he is usually there, but today is a weekend, so he probably only be there in the early morning and late evening."

"Then, I guess I will go see him later…"

"Boss does this mean that the bastard had already arrival?" Gokudera asked looking Tsuna over. His boss didn't tell him much when they met again at the park, but he got the suspicion that Vincent had came back when he saw his boss again.

Tsuna nodded. He didn't see a way out of fooling Gokudera. If it had been Ryohei alone, he could probably fool the boxer, but Gokudera had always been a different story. His friend was just too observant when it came to him.

"Then we should go search for the others! Who's missing? The baseball freak!" Gokudera shouted realizing that Yamamoto was missing if he didn't count Hibari.

"Let's go to his shop! I know where it is!"

"Eh? You do?" Tsuna was slightly surprised since Gokudera didn't seem to be the type to hang around another house. Especially, one that belong to Yamamoto Takeshi.

"I-I just happened to have sushi at his place before!" Gokudera quickly explained with a deep blush. Truth be told, he had enter the shop hoping to learn some skills in order to make some great sushi for his boss. It was only his unfortunate luck that he picked the baseball freak's shop.

"Then let's go trashes." Xanxus ordered, "We are wasting time and I have more important thing to do than babysit you trashes!"

Gokudera growled at the man but followed him out after Tsuna nodded his agreement. He silently made a promise to himself that he would kill the bastard once this is over for ordering his boss around.

* * *

><p><strong>Tsuna's Mental Report<strong>: _Ryohei—Found. Tutor: Lussuria and Leviathan. Training result: Could be calls a success since he beaten both tutors. Seem to have mastered his boxing and usages of Knuckle's Maximum Break._

_Varia—Lost Lussuria and Levi. _"Hey! We're not dead yet!"_ Lussuria whined and Levi mumbled his agreement in the background._

_Hibari—At school in the evening. Should be an easy find. Tutor: None. Training result: Unknown I hope he is willing to help us._

* * *

><p>"VOOOOIIII! Welcome!" was the greeting that greeted them upon entering the small wooden shop called 'Takesushi' by a long hair swordsman.<p>

"Bawhahahahaha!" Xanxus broke in laughing at the sight of his second-in-command wearing a white sushi chef uniform stand before him waving around a sushi knife instead of a sword. The man long silver hairs tied up in a ponytail and despite his killing intents floating around him, the swordsman look like a harmless man with a bad temper.

"What are you guys doing here?" the swordsman screamed, his face completely red from embarrassment and anger.

"That is what we should be asking you?" Mammon calmly asked, although the slight twitching of his lip shown that he wanted to laugh as well.

"Last I saw, you were going to train the kid, what happen when we left the shop? Did you love the sushi so much that you have decided to become a chef instead of a swordsman?"

Squalo growled at the tiny illusionist. "I was asked to watch the shop! When I was discussing about how to train the brat, his old man cut in and said he was going to train his son himself! The two left for who-know-where and told me to watch the shop!"

"And you're actually watching it?" Mammon looked totally shocked, "Without getting pay?"

"Yeah! Without getting pay?" Tsuna repeated then as if the little illusionist and Tsuna were in sync they both asked Squalo the same question: "Are you stupid?"

"Why are you working for free?" Mammon looked at his speechless commander slightly still unaware of Tsuna's presence.

"Working for free is just ridiculous! At least demand to be pay. If you don't need the cash, I do so give your pay to me!"

"To you?" Mammon turned, finally realizing another person standing beside him, "Why should he give them to you? If he was to give them to anyone, it should be me. I take care of all the Varia's finances."

"Give me a break!" Tsuna shouted in distaste at Mammon's simple reasoning, "You at least got money to spare! I'm a poor high school student who has six mouths to feed plus an ever growing debt!"

"Boss—" Gokudera wants to cry having finally seen Tsuna's true face. Although, he felt a little guilt for having to depend on Tsuna and causing the debt, he still couldn't believe his boss would go so far. When did his boss become…become such a…

"Money-goblin, shuts your yapping!" Xanxus yelled and Gokudera silently agreed to the term used; _yes, 'money-goblin' for being both short and greedy. OMG! What was he saying about his boss? Bad dog! Bad!_

While Gokudera had a mental breakdown at Xanxus's word, Squalo found himself nodding feverishly in agreement. "I wasn't really working anyway! It just that for some strange reason, the customers just kept coming back! VOOOIII! Look!"

As Squalo had said, an elderly man with a cane came wandering in. He didn't pay attention to Xanxus as he patted Squalo on the shoulder in a friendly greeting.

"Hello again, Squalo-kun. What is the special today?" the old man asked as he made himself comfortable in one of the few corner tables.

"VOOOIII! Go away old man! Can't you see I'm busy?" Squalo screamed.

"See-i-bi? Sashimi?" the old man suddenly laughed, "I told you before Squalo-kun, speak clearly. I'm old and my hearing isn't as good as it use to be. One plate of Sashimi with some green tea, then."

Squalo face-palmed.

"Ushishishi…Are all of this shop's customer elderly?" Belphegor asked with a laugh at his vice-captain's distress.

"No." just as Squalo had answered a group of teenage girls made their way into the shop.

"VOOOIII! I told you to never come again!" Squalo shouted at them causing the group of females to squeal in delight.

"He yelled at me! I'm so excited! Yell at me again!"

"Look! Look! He got friends today!"

"I like the silver-hair boy! He looks like he's strong!"

"Strong? That man with the scars look scary, but I believe that he must be the strongest!"

"No, no! Squalo-chin is the strongest!"

"VOOOIII! SHUT UP! I CAN HEAR YOU!" Squalo's yell only seem to fused the fangirls' squeals of delight as he found himself face palming once more in distress.

The others could only laugh when they realized that although, Squalo was a strong and undefeated swordsman, he could still easily lose to elderly old man and crazy fangirls…and to the owner of Takesushi and his son; the Yamamoto.

* * *

><p><strong>Tsuna's Mental Report:<strong> _Yamamoto—Missing, but appeared to be with his father. Tutor: Squalo. Never mind, he got kicked out from that position by Yamamoto Tsuyoshi. I wonder what he is like? Must be an amazing/frighten person to be able to get Squalo working for free. I wish to learn from him! _

_Training result:_ Squalo said, "How should I know? I got stuck shop-sitting for them!"_ Is thing going to be okay like this?_

* * *

><p>"RUUUNNN!" Leonardo screamed at his comrades when he was suddenly smacked on the head by a steel tonfa burning with purple flame.<p>

Hibari Kyouya stood before the undead corpse of one of the fools who had dared to trespass onto his beloved school ground causing troubles. They had seemed to be looking for someone, precisely one, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Hibari growled at the flies that had gathered in search of the herbivore before a dark amused look crossed his features, "I will enjoy biting you to death. Especially, you." He stated staring at the long raven haired man standing amid the crowd of flies.

Vincent glared at the prefect. After spending almost two weeks at this lousy no-name school, he had learned to hate the boy. Always so high and mighty, ruling over such a small pathetic group of students, and yet, the boy dared to stand up to him!

"I only want Sawada Tsunayoshi! Just hand him over, you vampire-impersonator!"

Hibari bristled. "Look for him elsewhere. The herbivore is not here." He stated dispassionately.

Vincent narrowed his eyes, "But you know where he is…" his tone was deathly, promising suffering to the head prefect. "I noticed…you were always watching him. There is no way you wouldn't know of his current location!"

Indeed. Kyouya looked impressed by the man's observation. He had been watching the herbivore. Always. Every day. Ever since that night at the festival, but it was because he was waiting for a chance to question the carnivore, not that he needed to anymore. He gotten what he wanted and that had been the fight he experienced with the herbivore. The new power he gotten from their fight had been interesting but he had learned that on his own. There was no longer a feeling of wanting to observe the herbivore. But of course, that didn't mean he didn't know of the brunet's location; that job had been passed to Hibird.

"Tell me where he is and I'll leave your little town alone!"

"Are you threatening me?" Hibari asked, a spike of indignation on his abilities to protect Namimori had been hit and he glared at the man. No one threaten Hibari Kyouya and get away with it!

"I will do anything to get Tsuna!"

Normally, Hibari wouldn't care about the students relationship outside of school ground, but as they were currently standing on Namimori's campus, a widen sadistic smirk appeared on his face, "It seems that I must bite you to death for breaking a school rule…No relationship beyond study buddies and rivalry are allowed on school ground!"

Hibari charged forward, tonfas in hands as he slide his way through the crowd, biting all the 'flies' to death. The smile on his face widen when he lifted the weapon to smash Vincent's arrogance face. It's dropped, however, when a small black steel dagger blocked his path.

Looking up, Hibari saw red. The red blood from his own arm when he had brought it up to blocked another blade from slitting his face. The red locks of hairs from the man beside Vincent's side. The angry ruby red eyes of Sergio as he pushed Hibari into retreated.

"Wao…how interesting..."


	22. An Unexpected Outcome

**Last Chapter: **

_Tsuna went on a search to gather his scattered guardians when he received news from Chrome of Mukuro being missing. While he was able to find his friends, Tsuna realized that he might had been cutting it closes with the three days training course. Gokudera and three members of the Varia are badly injured. Yamamoto had disappeared with his father to train in some secret location and he was sure as the sun would rise in the east that Hibari will not help him in this matter since the man hate crowding. Yet he must try to seek the prefect's help._

_Meanwhile, Vincent had arrived in Namimori and the first location he went to search for Tsuna had been the school. Unluckily for him, Hibari Kyouya had been there and he found himself a target of the blood-thirsty prefect. Sergio had stepped in to protect his young master, managing to wound Hibari's right arm. How will the fight continue?_

**Chapter 22: An Unexpected Outcome**

Tsuna rushed onto the school campus in horror as he saw Hibari jumped backward from the strike Sergio had caused.

"_Hibari-san!_" Tsuna wanted to screamed, to make sure that his sempai was alright. But he found that he couldn't make a single sound upon landing his sight on Vincent. He couldn't move from the spot even when he clenched his nails deep enough to break skin, he couldn't move, he couldn't feel. It was fear, he realized as he watch Hibari once more made his charge at Sergio.

He was, too, afraid of Vincent. What happened to all his talk about defeating the man? What happened to wanting to kill him? Why was he so weak?

"Aren't you going to stop them, trash?" Xanxus' rough voice sound almost as if he was scolding and Tsuna found himself looking at the older man in painful realization that he was letting Xanxus down. The man after all had trained him the last three days, no matter if he admitted it or not. Tsuna can't let all the efforts he put into the last three days go to waste! He will stop them!

Xanxus smirked as he watches Tsuna run forward once more.

"If you make it out alive, I will support you as Vongola's next Don." He declared to Tsuna's moving figure, "If you don't…then I will kill you myself."

Tsuna want to stop and turned back, to see if Xanxus was serious but, he didn't turns. It was a warning from the man, he realized; a test to see if he was worthy to become Vongola's Decimo. Is he _worthy_? Tsuna didn't seems to think so, nevertheless he push onward, onto the stage of battle, to the person who had caused him to suffered so much; to face against his greatest fear, Vincentio Contiello.

He had to some extent notices Gokudera following after him even when the Varia stood back, only being there to watch, to judge. Ryohei and Chrome are trailing not, too, far behind them; the two comrades rushing to protect their boss and friends.

Lambo, however, had stayed behind. It wasn't like he wanted to be there. Reborn had forced him to come along. He much rather had stay back at the hospital with Fuuta and I-pin, along with the two oneesans.

Sneaking away had never been one of Lambo's skills unfortunately as he found himself face-to-face with Reborn.

"Gyaa-pa! Reborn!" Lambo exclaimed in shocked at malicious grin on the Arcobaleno.

"You go out there too, stupid cow." His tone calmed and deadpanned despite the harsh words and actions. Actions which included kicking Lambo into the air and over the amused heads of the Varia, over the confused Chrome and Ryohei, over the annoyed Gokudera, and over the head of one very surprised Tsuna as he watch his youngest guardians flown toward Hibari and Sergio.

Although, most would see this as a tragedy on Lambo's part; the lightning guardian was only fulfilling his role, to become a lightning rod which attract dangers away from his family. Which in this case mean Hibari Kyouya, for it was thanks to Lambo flying over his head and accidentally dropping one of his grenades that the prefect was able to avoid a serious cut from Sergio's black blade.

Hibari had jumped backward out of surprise when a blob of black and white shoots it way across him. Sergio, however, was not so lucky when he sliced the pink object that suddenly appeared between him and his target. The action causes the grenades to exploded, sending him flying backward from the sudden heat.

Lambo miraculously made a safe landing a further distance away. However, that doesn't mean he was a happy little cow. He start crying like crazy, cursing Reborn for bullying him all the way as he reached into his afro to pulls out the all too familiar purple bazooka.

The sound of Lambo switching place with his ten-years-later self was like a starting signal to a two ways war.

Seeing his boss worried expression after Lambo had been send flying, Gokudera decided to put his boss's mind at ease.

"Juudaime!" He called out to the brunet, "Leave the cow-brat to me! I'll make sure he doesn't get kill!" The bomber than turned back to his other fellow guardians, "Make sure boss is safe!" he ordered the two.

Tsuna send his friend a grateful nod of thanks. A part of him, in opposition to his act of appreciation, wished that Gokudera would have left Lambo for him to handle instead.

He still wasn't feeling up to facing Vincent no matter what he said or does. Even with the man just less than twenty feet away. He could already see the man dark hair within his mob of soldiers and that make him want to run away.

"Bossu!" Chrome sudden call snapped him out of his deliberation, "I sense Mukuro-sama nearby! I think he might be hurt, bossu!"

She sounded close to tears as Tsuna quickly gave her the approve she needed to go after the other halve of his illusionist guardian. "Go find him, Chrome-chan. I'll take care of the problem over here."

She looked hesitated for a moment, divided between protecting her boss and finding her beloved Mukuro-sama. In the end, she gave Tsuna a nod of her faith in him to survive and went on her way to rescue Mukuro. _Her boss was strong_! She has faith in his strength for she had seen it in his dazzling auburn eyes.

Chrome was unaware, however, that her choice had left Tsuna feeling a bit uneasy. Although, she may have faith that he was strong, Tsuna, himself was not as confident in himself as he should. With yet another guardian gone from his side, his courage faltered.

"Don't worry Sawada! I've got your back! So extremely fight to your heart content!" Ryohei's booming voice sparked the small fire of courage within back to life as he gave the older male a rueful smile. He had almost forgotten about his ever bright and cheerful sun guardian, but because of his radiant presence, Tsuna felt a little safer than before and with that he continued forward.

"Tsuna!" a spark of happiness passed over Vincent's raven black eyes as he take in the shaking figure of Tsuna standing before him. The brunet was still scary of him, but that was okay, because all he need is to see Tsuna for the smile to appear on his face.

Tsuna shaking stopped. He looked at the older man in shock. It wasn't Vincent! No…the man standing before him was Vincent, without the coating of illusion, without the flair of wealth, without anything hiding the man's real self. Did the man just come from the crash site? Without heading back to wherever he was hiding to prepare for battle?

The tattered clothed men surrounding him shown that he must have done just that; they came straight from their plane's crash site.

Vincent was just as battered as any of his men, if not more. His once long silk-like black hair was harshly cut off to half its usual length. Tsuna know how important his hair had been to the Lillarosa Don. It was family tradition that the boss must never cut their hair or a curse would befall his family.

That always ironed black suit of his, was dirt-covered and ripped in so many places. Bandages and white clothes covered around his body, stained pink and brown from bloods that wouldn't stop. His head was also covered with one such cloth and for the first time, Tsuna wonder why the man would go so far just to claim him?

"Tsuna!" Vincent pushed his way through his men, getting nearer and nearer, but Tsuna found that he is unable to move, even to run away. The ever evading question of "why?" kept replaying in his head as Vincent came nearer.

"Tsuna, I have finally found you!" the tone of relief, of happiness and, yet, Tsuna flinched back a step as he finally notice how close the man had gotten, no more than five feet away. What had drove this man…no, what _is driving _his man to such a point? To be so uncaring of his own health and life? Could _he_ really be the reason? Tsuna didn't want to know.

* * *

><p>Gokudera cursed the fact that he had left his boss to those two worthless comrades of his as he send another blast of flaming storm arrows into the crowd of men that was heading toward Lambo. The brat-turned-teen was running around like crazy and Gokudera found that he wish he could kill the brat just to stop his moving around.<p>

"Gokuera-nii! Behind!" Adult-size Lambo exclaimed coming to a sudden stop when he saw that his older brother's younger self was about to be hit by one of the men with an iron pipe. Lambo dashed forward, bringing out his lightning-coated shield to block the pole. "Seems I dropped in at a bad time." He whined.

Nevertheless, Lambo pulled out a green box weapon from his inside coat as he replaced the shield within, instead trading them out for the all too familiar yellow pair of horns Gokudera often saw the younger version wear.

Gokudera raise his brow at the action. Why would he trade out a weapon for a pair of accessories?

Green light static around the horn when the boy called out, "Thunder Set" and Gokudera looked amazed.

Perhaps the brat was worthy of his Juudaime's choice of guardians after all…or at least the future-version is worthy. He mused too soon as he watched Lambo dashed forward with all the power of the lightning flame in his horn and a cried of "Elettrico Cornata!"

The target Lambo was charging for, however, had seen the attack coming from miles away and easily dodged the boy's head causing Lambo to come crashing onto the ground, missing the man completely. The man smirked at his little victory as Gokudera groaned in annoyance; so much for thinking that the cow was worthy.

Lambo cried. Then the teen ran away leaving an electrocuted ground to suddenly quakes under the feet of many men plus storm guardian. Looking around fearfully at the unexpected earthquake, Gokudera laid himself flat on the ground. The others men around him did the same. Lambo seeing his older brother acting stupid, called out to the bomber.

"Gokudera-nii! Don't stay there! The ground is going to explode!"

At the word 'explode' Gokudera jumped to his feet and dashed away. The other weren't so lucky as they laid on their belly confused at the teen's words. Then came the explosion and they were send into the air before they realized what had even happened. Lambo lightning had been directed toward the ground, blowing the whole area completely apart along with the fools who didn't escape.

* * *

><p>"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome wandered through the many brushes on Namimori's campus as she searched the ground for her teacher. She was sure that he was around here. She sensed him; a fact that had slightly disorientated her at first for she had never been able to do that before.<p>

"Mukuro-sama! Are you here?" She knows she was getting close, but the man still didn't answer her. Could there be a reason?

"Stupid girl." The calm and familiar voice of the person she had spend the last three days with had scolded her and Chrome turns to see that it was indeed Mammon.

"Mammon-san!"

"Hmph, such wastes to have the devil lens fall into the hands of such a naive girl." The Arcobaleno sighed in disappointment, but he made no threat to steal the item from her. "Use the lens to locate that illusionist's aura."

Eyes widen, Chrome fumbled with the lens as she grabbed it from her pocket. She had forgotten. She could use the lens to find other illusionist. In fact, it was possible that Mukuro had used some kind of illusion to hide his presence.

Activating the lens' power, she begin her search once more realizing that although the forest was thick, some of the trees had been created by illusions. Looking for the place where she saw contained the most blazing aura of indigo flames, she begin to head for it.

As she had suspected, her Mukuro-sama was found laying underneath a tree looking as if he was sleeping. At her entering into his field of illusion, the man had snapped awake, only to be surprised to see the girl he almost raised.

"Nagi!" he called her by her real name out of stunned shock. "How did you find me? The lens?" he asked noticing the three floating lens before her left eye.

Chrome nodded, tears glistening against her eye as she found herself thrown into the man's arm. "Mukuro-sama! I was so worry!"

He patted her head in order to calm her down. "Seeing you here, I suppose Vongola had been warned of that man's arrival?"

"Yes, Mukuro-sama." The girl replied, backing off of Mukuro as she shut off the power of the lens and wiped away her tears. "He is fighting that man, right now."

"I see…" Mukuro looked as if he wanted to say more, but held back his thoughts.

"Speak your thoughts, Mukuro." The sudden voice of Reborn reached the clearing as the baby made himself know to the three illusionists, behind him Xanxus had followed. "There is something you are worried about and something I want to know."

"Oya? Even if there was, what make you thinks that I would relinquish the information?"

Two guns croaked at his head; one from Xanxus, the other from Reborn.

"I don't feel like playing around today. I already had a guess about this situation, but I need confirmation."

"Better start speaking!" Xanxus glared. He, too, could feel that something seem off. A secret that he was sure have something to do with Tsuna.

Sighing, Mukuro admitted defeat, "It not like I can hide this…I'm sure that you two would have found out by the end of today anyway…the fact that Vincentio Contiello is not the _real_ mastermind behind Tsunayoshi Sawada's kidnapping."

* * *

><p>"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Ryohei screamed, sending another suited man into the air only to have two more replaced him. He was getting tired, but Ryohei didn't care about that. What he does care about is the fact that he had somehow gotten separated from Tsuna.<p>

Dammit! He promised that he got the kid's back! How could he have allowed these weaklings to push him away from his little brother?

"TSUNA!" He shouted at the brunet, hoping that perhaps his voice could snapped the boy out of whatever frozen spell he was in as Vincent walked ever closer. Why was he just standing there?

In truth, Ryohei doesn't have a clue what was going on. He only knows that the man called Vincent was a threat to his little brother. He could see it in Tsuna's eyes. The boy was afraid of that man. And compared to how strong he knows Tsuna was, that very fact had been extremely strange! How can someone so strong be so afraid of someone that can't even go out without bodyguards?

Gokudera had counted on him too. That was saying a lot coming from the silver-headed octopus!

He spared a glance at the said octopus. The boy seems to have just escaped from a sudden earth shattering experience and was trying to make his way back toward Tsuna now that he had taken care of his group of opponents. He couldn't let that octopus have all the recognition, he need to finish these men quickly and go help Tsuna!

* * *

><p>It was Tsuna! The real Tsuna and not some fake illusion! "Tsuna!" he could see the boy froze by his voice alone. The Tsuna that he had always been chasing after was finally in front of him!<p>

He pushed his way through the brainless group of men that were his subordinates. Why were they're so thick headed as to stay motionless around him, blocking his path to Tsuna? Go block those guardians of his instead, he wanted to scream at them, but for some reason he could only called out Tsuna's name.

"Tsuna!" _It's hurt._ He admitted. Every step he took getting closer to Tsuna hurt like hell, but he pushed his way through. The injuries he gotten from the plane crash had been worse than he thought. He could feel it; the wound on his side seems to have been deeper than what he originally thought. Sergio would probably give him a scolding later. Not that he care. As long as he gets to have Tsuna with him again, he could care less about anything that happens to him.

"Tsuna, I have finally found you!" he stated, now that he had gotten out of the crowd. Now that he was no more than five feet away from his goal. Five measly steps were all it took. He wants to hug him.

Four steps and Tsuna still didn't move. The smile on Vincent's face widens.

_He wants to hold him._

Three steps. Here was his chance. Tsuna was finally going to be his again.

_He loves him._

Two steps and Vincent's eyes shut at the blinding light reflecting against his sight. Squinting his dark indigo eyes away from the light, Vincent only widen them in fear moment later at the recognition of what had caused the light.

_Why? Why were they here?_ He couldn't believe his eye as he looks at the two figures high above everyone else, on the rooftop. The cause of the blinding light came from the small piece of lens attached to the larger black object of destruction.

What did they want? Who were their targets? Where are they planning to shoot with that rifle?

Perplexed and devastated at finding the answer to his question Vincent did the only thing he could do. His mind completely loss all senses. He couldn't understand their reasons, purposes, or even their goal. All he could do was act as his heart ordered.

He jumped the last two steps, closing the distance between him and Tsuna.

He screamed the brunet's name with all his soul, "TSUNA!" _Run!_ Despite his thought, however, Vincent found himself holding tightly onto the brunet. A rueful smile graced his lip as he found that he had contrasted his own thought with the action of his heart.

The feeling in his hands slowly going numb, but he still refused to let go.

He wants to apologize. He wants to apologize to Tsuna.

All this time, he had been wrong about _them_. He had thought that they wanted the best for Tsuna. Had everything he did been planned from the start? Had everything he did been wrong? He didn't care anymore. He just wants…

Tsuna's face. He wants to see Tsuna's face. Pulling himself backward from his tight embrace, his hand held on tightly, still not wanting to let go. Tsuna's smile, he really wants to see it.

"Ca-can you please smile?" the words rolled off his tongues as he took in the brunet's shocked expression. He wanted to laugh, too, bad it hurt. His chest was hurting. "Pl-please?" He really want to see it; Tsuna's smile.

* * *

><p>Tsuna's mind didn't seem to want to comprehend it. What had just happen? He had found himself froze in fear as Vincent neared him and then…and then what?<p>

The man suddenly screamed his name and then what? What happened?

Screams were heard all over the place, but he could only find himself looking at the spot where Vincent had been before the man had jumped on him. His intuition had been screaming at him to run just before the man jumped. What happened?

"Ca-can you please smile?"

Smile? How can he smile? Something _had_ happened!

"Pl-please?"

Tears…or was it rain? Tsuna wasn't sure. It felt like the sky was crying. Was the sky crying? No it was bright. The sun was bright. Then was he crying? Why was he crying? What had happened?

"Ts-Tsuna...no…Tsunayoshi, p-please, just this once?" Vincent's voice seems to have finally reached him and Tsuna found himself looking into the man's pleasing eyes. "I…I wish to see it once more…"

Whatever the case, Tsuna found himself nodding to the man's request, and yet, he found himself unable to perform it.

Why? What happened?

Vincent smiled as if he was satisfied with the single nod, even though the smile wasn't there.

"Th-thank-you…Tsunayoshi…" the weight on his body dropped and Tsuna found his eyes following Vincent's own body down to the ground. Why was he sitting down? What happened?

Tsuna dropped down beside the older man. His hands made its way into grabbing Vincent's own.

Shocked, Tsuna looked down at his betraying hand only to wish that he hadn't. Red stained his hands. The dying red of blood, how? He felt like he was choking…or was he crying after all. There was no water to wash away the blood. So is he crying?

"Smile." It was an ordered, but Tsuna couldn't find it in himself to follow. Was it because he hates the man?

No.

Was it because he was crying?

No.

Why couldn't he just smile? He found himself crying harder at the thought. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just grant this stupid man his _final wish_?

Final…wish? The tears stopped and for once Tsuna finally realized what had happened.

Vincent was dying! Why? How?

He knows the answer to those questions! It was all because of him! Because he didn't listen to his intuition and run! Because he was so afraid of a man who had become a threat no longer! Because he had been protected by the man that he had thought was his enemy!

"Why did you save me?" Tsuna screamed at the dying man still too confused by what had just occurred to accept the fact that Vincent had jumped in to save him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well...was anyone surprise? Too bad, Tsuna couldn't show off his combat skills, but I thought it would be better this way instead of having Tsuna simply fight and win. <strong>

** Next chapter will be Vincent's last moment, so basically just a history of his life and how he became so obsessive with Tsuna. Oh! and also the real mastermind will appeared and most of the mysteries of this story will be reveal so join me again next chapter!**

**Thank you, everyone! Extra thanks to those who reviews! It truly make me happy reading them even though I don't answer them. Thank you!**


	23. The History of Lillarosa

**AN: As I stated in the last chapter, this chapter is more like Vincent's final moment, the few seconds or minutes where they say that your life flash before you die. In a way, I guess I wanted to dedicate this chapter to Vincentio Contiello, the first major OC I have ever created. I feel bad for killing him off, since I find that I really like him. (Waaaahhh!) I don't want to kill him! (Sniffed) But he must die for the sake of moving the story foward. So, please enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Last Chapter: <strong>

_Hibari's fight with Sergio continued as Tsuna and the others rushed onto the scene. While Tsuna face off with his deepest fear, Gokudera charged in to save Lambo…or is it actually the other way around when Lambo finished off the men. Chrome went looking for Mukuro and learned that Vincent might not have been the mastermind behind Tsuna's kidnapping eight years ago. While Ryohei was also busy fighting the grunts, an unexpected incident occurred; Vincent got shot by someone trying to harm Tsuna._

**Chapter 23: History of the Lillarosa**

"_Why did you save me?"_ Tsuna screamed. Tears stained his face. It seems that is all Vincent will ever see on Tsuna's face; a painful sadness, endless tears, and an abominable hate that will _never_ disappear.

He wishes Tsuna would smile. Smile _at_ _him_.

When was the last time Tsuna had smiled at him? Eight—no it had been almost ten years since he had seen the brunet directed a smile at him.

Yes, it was almost ten years ago when he had first met the young brunet that had caused such a significant change in his life.

* * *

><p>"<em>Papa!" five years old Vincentio Contiello crawled his way into his father's lap as the man looked down at his only son.<em>

"_What is it, Vincentio?"_

"_You are the boss of Lillarosa, right, papa?"_

_The man smiled proudly, "Yes. I am the sixth boss to the Lillarosa Famiglia. What of it, my son?"_

_The young boy looked at his father confusingly, not understanding why his father seems to be so proud at this small unimportant fact. Sure his father was a boss, a leader to many men, but for young Vincentio he couldn't understand the important of such power._

"_Why are you so proud, papa? Is the Lillarosa Famiglia such a great family?"_

_The man looked slightly shocked, perhaps even a little hurt by his son's careless words. "The Lillarosa may seems like a young famiglia compared to many others because our number of boss is only at it sixth stage, however, Vincentio, you must know that our family was originally part of the royal Italian Savoy Family, not one born from the mafia."_

_The boy only looked at his father; waiting for more knowledge of his father's precious family to be poured into him. Royal family…Mafia family…as of yet, they were nothing of important to the young boy._

_The man laughed, finally understanding that his son was just a curious little boy._

"_You see figlio, my son, our family had always been a loyal family to the royalty of Italy. We serve our master under the shadow, protecting them and supporting them. But because of this, the Lillarosa soon became known to the mafia and so in order to survived, we became one. Our history can be said to rival even those of Vongola."_

"_Vongola? Our family's rival are clams?"_

_Again the man find himself laughing, "No, Vongola is just the name of the current strongest mafia famiglia in Italy…no the world." He frowned slightly at this, "But Vongola is not our enemy. We do not cross path with them, nor do they with us._

_Our family's main priority had always been the gathering of rarities like jewelries, animals, and even weapons. We are a family in service of the riches, a family of traders if to speak in the most simplest of forms."_

"_Do we trade flowers as well, papa?"_

_The sudden unexpected question from his quite son startled him._

"_Why do you think so, figlio?"_

"_Because~ our family name is Lillarosa." the boy explained simply, "Lillarosa means purple rose, does it not, papa?"_

_Once again he found himself laughing, "Yes, indeed, Lillarosa mean purple rose, but I have yet to find such a rose. Although…" the old man look thoughtful for a moment before sending his son a smile, "I will tell the men to search the world for such a rose…if they fail, then I will grow them myself._

_However, the true meaning of our name comes from the meeting of our ancestor. Elmo Contiello and Ida Marino…Do you know the meaning of a purple rose, figlio?"_

_Vincentio shook his head, staying silence all the while as he listens to his father's story._

_The smile on his father's face widen and Vincentio could see his father face pinked. A blush?_

"_A purple rose is a symbol of fairytale love…or love at first sight just like the meeting of Elmo and Ida under a blue moon at a ball."_

"_Ball?" the boy croaked his head in confusion as the man realized a wrong choice of word to use with a young boy. The boy must be thinking of the toy ball he had given to his son two years ago._

"_At a party. They fell in love at a party." The man face reddens even more when he thought about his own meeting with his late wife. It was also at a party and he had decided to ditch, only to realize that he wasn't the only one when a beautiful princess jumped over his head or more like she had climbed over the fence surrounding the estate. He chased after her and the two fell in love over coffee. A part of him wonder if perhaps it was a family curse to fall in love at dance party as he watch his son jump from his lap, now tired of the mushy tale._

Will Vincentio fall in love at first sight as well?

* * *

><p>"<em>Padre." Fourteen years old Vincentio walked up to his father, respectfully greeting the two men engaged with his father's conversation.<em>

"_Vincentio!" Don Lillarosa greeted, "Come, come. Let me introduce you to Vongola's Nono and his storm guardian, Coyote Nougat."_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you." Vincentio greeted shaking hands with each._

_The Nono chuckled softly in amusement "No, the pleasure is all our. To be able to meet with the next Don of Lillarosa…" the old man became quite for a second as a frown appeared upon his lip and Vincentio had to wonder if he had somehow done something to offense the old man._

"_So, Don Lillarosa, you really are planning to leave your position so soon?" Nono had turned away from him and once again talked with his father as if nothing had occurred within the last two minutes._

"_Yes." Don Lillarosa laughed, "Once my son become sixteen, I will leave everything to him."_

"_Such large amount of responsibilities and powers?" Nono looked taken aback at Don Lillarosa, "To someone still so young?"_

"_Worry not, Don Vongola, my son is wise and although he is young, I can assure you that he will be a fine boss by the time he takes up my position."_

"_Then, I leave you to it." Nono laughed along even though Vincentio could sense a feeling of unease within the old man's tone._

_He excused himself from their talk, growing quickly tired of being ignored. The three men see to his leave before continuing on with their talk._

_The party was officially boring by the time the ninth hour struck and he still had two more hours to spend wandering the overly large party hall alone. _

_Why couldn't he have brought Sergio along? Even if that guy was as quiet as an ant, he was at least someone Vincentio could complaint to. But no, that was out of the question, especially under the scrutinizing eyes of others mafia bosses._

"_I'm going to get you brat!"_

_The sound of a child's voice…no, not that young, perhaps even around the same age as him. Light of hope of finally being able to get rid of the boredom, snapped Vincentio to attention as he searched the hall for the source._

_Just as he thought that perhaps it had been a source of his imagination, he was tackled onto the floor. No one seem bother to help him and he soon find himself dragged by hands surprisingly smaller than his under the nearby table._

"_Come out of here, brat!" that same voice he had heard from before sounded from nearby as he found his mouth covered by little hands._

_The sound of chuckling glees from behind made him want to know who it was that had made such a soft and smoothing sound. A kid? But who would bring a child so young to a mafia party?_

"_I'm sorry" the voice apologized. His laugher had stopped as if he had finally realized that he was causing trouble to another. Not that Vincentio really mind, he was more curious._

_Tsuna released his hands, allowing Vincentio to finally turn around to see that it was indeed a little boy as he expected. _

_The kid was no more than five. His bronze eyes were the brightest Vincentio had ever remembered seeing even under the darkness of the table. A slight scent of autumn fallen leaves surround the boy as he watch the cutest boy he had ever met looked at him worriedly._

_He never had someone worried about him before. His father was a man that deems his son as the best of the best and had often time allow him the liberty of independent. _

_Then there was Sergio, who had always been an emotionless grunt. The men surrounding his father only worried about their jobs and he had never known his mother. _

"_Did I hurt you?" the gentlest voice asked him in a pained whisper._

_Vincentio shook his head, "No, I'm fine." His voice even and calm just as he had been trained. "What were you doing? Were you being bullied?" The boy looked to be the type. Small, weak, and fragile._

_Tsuna laughed, "No. That was Xan-xan! He hated it when I can him that thought, but I can't pronounce his name." Tsuna whined, "That why he was chasing me. Sorry to have dragged you in as well."_

"_That's fine." Vincentio stated, "Not like anyone will missed me out there."_

_Tsuna could see the teen was depressed. Although his voice didn't betray a hint of sadness, Tsuna could somehow sense that the teen was crying for attention. Tsuna suddenly found himself grabbing the boy's hand in his smaller ones._

"_Tsu-chan will miss you if you go missing!"_

_Vincentio blushed. He never realized how much something so simple could make him so happy. A light smile made it way up his lip and he found his first smile that evening…no perhaps his first smile in his life. Had he truly smile at anyone before? He wasn't sure he had…at least not a real smile from his heart._

"_What is your name? My name is Tsuna! Tsuna…hm..yoshi Sa-wa-da." The boy pronounced his name with great difficulty and a scrunch-up face._

_Despite himself, Vincentio found himself laughing at the messed-up expression on the younger boy. If you compared the rarity of finding gems to finding Vincentio's emotion then finding a smile would be like finding a gold piece of ore, hard to find and hard to tell a fake from a real one. His laugher would be like finding a diamond, an even rarer occurrence._

"_Don-don't laugh at my name!" the brunet cried with as much dignity a five-years-old could possessive._

"_I-I'm sorry." Vincentio calmed himself back to normal, but that smile of his didn't leave his face, "Forgive me, Tsunayoshi, is it?"_

"_Yes!" Tsuna exclaimed happily glad that at least one of them could say his name properly, "What is your, mister?"_

"_Vincentio. Vincentio Contiello."_

"_Vin-cent-io Con…hmm? Sorry!" Tsuna cried when he found himself once again unable to pronounce a name properly._

_Vincentio patted the boy's head, at least the boy managed to pronounce his first name fully even if it was slow and broken, "Don't cry. You don't want Xan-xan, was it, to find you now, right?"_

_Tsuna instantly covered his mouth as he sniffed back his tears. "Th-hicup-then can-can I call you Vin-cent, instead?"_

_Looking slightly stunned at the nickname, Vincentio smiles at the boy. It was his first nickname and it wasn't so bad. In fact, compared to the other nickname the little boy had come up with, Xanxan, his was a much better one since it was so close to his own name._

"_Sure, Tsu…"_

"_Tsuna! Where are you?" an elderly man voice called out, interrupting him. Tsuna, however, happily pushed aside the table cloth to greet whoever it was on the other side. _

_A flashed of resentment crossed Vincentio dark blue eyes as he, too, crawled out from under the cloth to see Tsuna flung himself onto the elderly man he met earlier this evening._

"_Grandpa!" Tsuna shouted, holding onto Vongola's Nono leg as the man bend down to patted the boy's messy brown mane._

"_Tsuna, were you under there all this time?" Nono asked, "Xanxus was worried when you disappeared you know."_

"_Was not!" a black haired boy suddenly appeared from behind the old man as he glared at Tsuna. "Who care what happen to you, brat."_

_Tsuna let go of Nono's leg as he ran over to the other boy. Yelling with all his pride, Tsuna and Xanxus fought about who was in the wrong like the kids that they are. Vincentio send one last look in Tsuna direction before turning and making his leave. The boy had probably forgotten all about him already._

"_Vince-nt!" The childish voice called out to him and he found himself making a 180-turn. "I'll see you later, okay?"_

_Vincent smile, "Yeah, sure…See you later, Tsuna."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Donato, do you understand that failure is not an option." Don Lillarosa asked the scrawny-looking man on the other side of his desk. "This plan must be successful. We cannot allow that boy to grow up. It is cruel to him, but the Lillarosa will be destroyed if that boy is to become the Vongola Decimo."<em>

"_Si, My men and I will raid their base."_

"_No, Donato. To attack him there is almost an impossibility."_

"_Then how?"_

"_I have heard from that old fool that his son had been asking to go on a family outing. The boy's father to be exact. Donato, go and find out when their little outing will be taken place. That will be our best chance to attack."_

"_Si, I will get right on it, boss." Donato left the office unaware that he passed by the young master in his rush to fulfilled his boss' order._

_Vincentio waited until Donato was gone from sight before stepping out from the shadow of the hall. He should get away from here or else his father will be displeased. It would be troublesome to explain to that old man that he was just passing by and overheard._

_His father like for him to think that the Lillarosa was all good businesses, but he had known better long before that, the Lillarosa was just as greedy and tainted as any other mafia families and yet he pretend, if only for the sake his own apathetic lifestyle._

_But Vincentio will soon learn that he can no longer stay in denies of his father true side when he overheard the man's next phrase._

"_I will not let you destroy the Lillarosa, Tsunayoshi Sawada."_

_The name of the little boy he met at the party not long ago? Why? Why had his father decided to kill a little boy, so harmless and weak? What reason could he have to take the life of someone so innocent? Vincentio must stop him!_

"_Padre!"_

"_Vincentio! What are you doing here?"_

_Vincentio ignored his father question, instead asking one of his own, "Are you going to kill Tsunayoshi?"_

_The man's dark eyes narrowed, "You were ear-dropping?"_

"_Don't change the subject!" Vincentio screamed, "Why are you killing a kid? When did you become such a terrible person?"_

_SLAAAPPP! The sound of skin smacking against skin echoed through the large office room as Vincentio glared angry tears at his father. His father had never hit him before, why is the man so different from before? When did he change?_

"_Who do you think I'm doing this for?" he yelled at his son, "I got information that the brat will destroy our family once he takes the position of Vongola Decimo! Do you really think that I enjoy killing a little kid?"_

"_Tsunayoshi is not like that!" _There was no way that the kid would destroy this fake mafia family of theirs. _"You don't even know him! How can you say such thing about a five years old kid that only trying to live in this sorry-excuse of a world?"_

"_Be quiet!" the Don ordered, "You'll do as I tell you, and just leave everything to me! I will kill the brat myself if I have to so that this family will survive!"_

"_Then I will do anything I can to stop you." Vincentio threaten. There was no way that he would allows his father or anyone to hurt Tsunayoshi!_

* * *

><p>"<em>Y-Yo-you trait..or…"<em>

_Those were the last words Sergio had heard from his late master as he wiped his black dagger of the stained blood. No the man wasn't really his master. He had never considered this old fool to be his master in the five years that he had stayed in this grand estate._

"_This is your own fault." Sergio explained to the now lifeless body lying on the wooden desk. He supposed there could have been better places for the old man to have die, but this office seems fitting for him. _

_The man had often locked himself in here, disregarding the young master time and time again. Sergio had often have to see his young master, his only master, suffered from the old man's selfishness. He really should just die in this office that he had spend more time in than with the young master. _

"_Consider this my thanks for raising me…" he stated, "This whole estate can be your to keep, since Padroncino had already decided to abandon this place." He paused for a moment, taking out a lighter from his inner coat. "Good-bye Don Lillarosa." _

_The lighter dropped to the ground, spreading too quick for a normal fire. But that was expected. He had rigged this whole place to burn with ease. Everything had been pre-planned since the moment Vincentio had ordered him to make his father death an accident…a fire accident was best, it leave no evident of their betrayal._

* * *

><p>"<em>Congratulation, Lillarosa Settimo." Two female members of the Cervello appeared before the slightly surprised Vincentio as he watches the two pink haired girls wary.<em>

_His father's funeral had just ended, although, it was all for appearance sake in order for him to take the boss' title. He never expected to receive it so soon or even in such a simple way-by having it bestowed on him by these two girls of the Cervello group. _

_Cervello are not mafia, they are judges, or so his father had frequently stated. A group of pink haired women who hid behind mask, their job is to judges and only judges. They don't take side, and always play fair. But, these groups of women are dangerous. Their goals are unknown and often times, they are involved in the larger scheme of things, like life-changing events._

Never trust them in anything but their abilities to judges fairly. _His father's words whenever these women were mention still hunted his mind._

"_Th-thank you. I am glad that you could make it to Padre's funeral. I'm sure he's happy." He repeated the phrase he had used since this morning to greeted all the bosses and families who had came to paid their final respect._

_The Cervello, however, were different from his usual guests._

"_Do you really think so?" one of the two girls asked._

"_We are not really here to pay our respect to your late father." The other one continued._

"_We are only judges. We do not care for the process."_

"_How you came into position of boss is of no concern to us."_

_For a moment, Vincentio wondered if there were more to their cryptic words. It was almost as if they had known that he had ordered his father's death._

"_We only came to give you our greetings into the mafia world."_

"_And to leave you a message."_

_At this both girls began to speak as one, "Should you ever need the help of Cervello, we shall come to your aids."_

_At that time, he thought that he would never need their help and kindly turned down their offers._

_However, not even six months later, when an invitation of alliance was send to Vongola Nono was turned down. Vincentio found himself taking up on their offer for help, unaware that he was but a small piece in the grander scheme of things. Things that concerns the Vongola's greatest secret._

* * *

><p>"<em>Timoteo, why did you turn down that boy's offer?" Ganauche, the young lightning guardian, asked taking over a whole couch for himself as he lay upon the soft red sofa inside the Ninth's office, "Were you not the person who said that it was better to have allies than enemy? Why didn't you accept the boy's request? He seems to be quite honest about wanting to become our ally."<em>

"_Perhaps it just me getting old, Ganauche, but I felt a sense of fear toward that boy."_

"_Fear? You?" Ganauche sat up at this staring at his boss in shock. Since when did this old man ever get scared?_

_Nodding Timoteo continued, "You don't know it, but I met with him before with Coyote at a party about half a year ago, just before his father passed away._

_At that time, he was only a young fourteen years old boy and yet he seems to act far beyond his age." Nono could see that Ganauche want to counter his fear of thinking a kid shouldn't act mature. He continued before the man could start. "But that was not what had scared me. It was more like the intuition of the Vongola's blood telling me that he would take something precious of mine away. Plus he was radiating an aura of superior to me."_

"_Su-superior?" Ganauche asked as realization seem to hit him, "You're jealous of him!"_

_Timoteo didn't talk back and the lightning guardian found himself laughing at his sky. His all powerful sky was actually jealous of someone and a young boy no less. Little does he know how right his sky should fear the thorn rose as the danger he represented loom ever closer._

* * *

><p><em>CRASH! The poor porcelain vase was harshly thrown across the room and suffer it unfortunate demise at meeting the hard stone wall.<em>

"_How dare Vongola Nono turns down my offer?" Vincentio Contiello was beyond angry. Here he was trying to make a friendly alliance with the Vongola that he had killed his father to protect and yet they dare denied him a chance of friendship with Tsunayoshi?_

_He realized shortly after his father's death, the fact that he had fallen in love with the boy. That was why he was so willing to kill his father. He wouldn't let anyone for that matter, hurt the boy. _

_Tsuna had been the first person to have worried about him. To shown him such a pure kind of kindness, one that he founded he was desperate to have as his own. He wants the boy even if only as a friend._

_For that reason, he made a request to the Vongola's current boss. An alliance will give him the chance to see the boy again._

_To meet and befriend the young brunet had been his goal for the last six months. He spends every day working hard, to make the Lillarosa worthy of being recognized by the Vongola and, yet, that old man had turned him down without even a single meeting! He was sure the old man was vaguely aware of how his father met his demise, but the man had not acts upon it without any evident. _

"_Padronc—" Sergio stopped, hearing footsteps heading closer. Taking out his gun, he prepared it into action._

"_Don Lillarosa." A Cervello greeted as she entered his boss' office as if they were the one who own it._

"_Cervello!" Vincentio stated angrily, "What are you doing here? How did you come in?"_

"_We came to help you." One of them stated._

"_Help? What helps can you offer me?" he shouted at them, very much not in the mood to be entertaining some loony women who think they are important._

"_You want to befriend Tsunayoshi Sawada, do you not?"_

_Vincentio instantly gave them his attention at the name of the boy appeared._

"_We can help you get him."_

"_Wh-what are you saying?" He really didn't understand. Should they at least say that they would _introduce_ them? Why used the word '_get'_? It was such a vague term._

"_The boy can be yours."_

"_He can belong to you and only you."_

_Their words were like whispers of the devil, but Vincentio found, he is unable to refuse. _He wants Tsuna._ That was a fact. He really wants the boy no matter what he had to do._

"_H-How can you…"_

"_We can bring him to you anytime you wish."_

"_But there is a price."_

_Price? He should have known. There was no free lunch in this world. Everything came at a price. But can he pay it?_

"_What is the price?"_

_As emotionless as ever the two girls explain._

"_Vongola will be hunting you down, so your family will have to go into hiding."_

"_We will be protecting you. At least for the first five years."_

"_If you wish Tsunayoshi Sawada to stay, we suggest you make him understand that he cannot escape."_

"_Within these five years, we will support you in making Tsunayoshi Sawada yours, but…"_

"…_But if he is still not yours by that time, we will pull out our support."_

"_And most likely, Vongola will destroy you."_

_Vincent's eyes widen at this. The Lillarosa Familiga for Tsunayoshi Sawada? It was a risk-it-all or lose-it-all gamble, but the only thing he seems to catch was the fact that they would help him get Tsuna._

"_Why are you helping me?"_

"_It a necessary." The two girls replied as one._

_Vincent didn't understand the reason and the girls didn't look to be willing to say more. But should he really care of their reason as long as he gets to have Tsuna? No, he didn't care about anything. All he have left, now that he killed his father was Tsuna. Yes, only Tsuna matter to him now._

"_Then please bring him to me!" he sealed the deal as the two girls bowed their leave._

_Sergio looked coldly at the now closed door before following his gaze over to his young master._

"_Padroncino…do you really think that we should trust them? I cannot help but feel that they are using you."_

_Vincentio turns to face his right-hand man and smile. "I do not trust them, Sergio. I am only using them to get what I want. If they want to use me, that is fine with me. As long as I get to have Tsunayoshi, I do not care if I am being use."_

"_I understand." And with that their discussion ended._

* * *

><p><em>As the Cervello had promised, Tsunayoshi Sawada had been brought before him less than a day later. However, due to the method used to get the boy, Vincent soon learned the meaning behind those crafty words of the Cervello.<em>

_They had somehow, kidnapped Tsunayoshi Sawada right under the very noses of the Vongola's watchful eyes. How they managed to pull off such a feast, still elude Vincent. But as those girls had also promised, Vongola had never been able to find them._

_When and if they did, the Cervello would capture them and hand the prisoner over to Vincent for elimination._

* * *

><p>"<em>Take this." A Cervello handed Vincent a small bottle of pills and he looked at it confusingly.<em>

_It had been three months since he had gotten Tsuna and yet the boy had refused to have anything to do with him. It was getting more and more difficult each day to control his anger. Why must Tsuna treat him coldly?_

_Was he in the wrong? He wants Tsuna to like him. He want to spend time getting to know the boy._

"_What is it?" he asked emotionlessly staring at the clear glass bottle in his hand. The small white pills danced around the crystal bottle from his shake, sending a resonating ring into the silent room_. Drugs? _What kind and why would he need these small objects of self-destruction?_

"_Those are to help Tsunayoshi Sawada bring out his inner self."_

"_His true self."_

_Vincentio looked the bottle anew at the Cervello's explanation. To use on Tsunayoshi? He would never! Yet, strangely enough, Vincentio couldn't help the tempted feeling of excitement at the proposal offered to him; Tsuna's inner self. Could this side of Tsuna perhaps like him?_

"_I…" he was at a loss for words. The Cervello, what are they truly planning? Why did they offer to help him despite the crime of kidnapping the next heir to the strongest Mafia famiglia? Why would they offer him these pills? What is it that they want with Tsunayoshi?_

"_Tsunayoshi Sawada might have feeling for you different from those he holds now." _

"_Did you not say that he had liked you the first time you met? Perhaps he still does…" _

_The whispers of the devil. Those were the words best describe those Cervello's women as Vincentio stared at them in bewilderment for their daring claims. Their proof-less claims._

"_I won't use drugs on Tsunayoshi!" Vincentio snapped at the two women before sending them away. He was flaring in anger at those two for the false hope that had been planted into his head. _

_He knows that Tsuna wouldn't like him. He known since the day they brought the boy to him all scared and crying. Tsuna had locked himself inside the room he had assigned for the boy and wouldn't see him. The few times he forced his way in, he would find Tsuna cowering under the bed, behind the curtain, or in a corner, just anywhere out of sight…and away from him._

_Those few weeks of their reunion, Tsuna had stopped eating, and he found himself forcing those cold, bland foods into the boy just to keep him alive. He couldn't let Tsuna die. He won't let Tsuna die! All the more reason to not use something as suspicious as these pills to bring about another personality._

"_I won't use this drug!" Vincentio stated with convince as he toss the bottle into a draw of his desk. _

* * *

><p>"<em>Sergio, how is Tsunayoshi today?" Vincentio asked the red haired man beside him as they made their way through the halls of the lakeside mansion.<em>

"_The same, still just staring off into space like some doll." Sergio simply stated without looking up from the file he was currently going over._

_He was unaware of the slight frown on Vincentio's face as he worried about his actions over the months. Out of anger and stress, he had snapped. After almost half a year or so, and yet, Tsuna still refused to accepts him. The boy had taken upon himself to even brave running away. He never got far; Vincentio had after all, always had the boy tracked on cameras. _

_After Tsuna's eighth or ninth attempted escapes, Vincentio decided to do a very cruel thing to the boy. He had started to beat Tsuna black and blue, despite his words that he wouldn't hurt Tsuna. It was almost as if his mind had snapped or was it taken over by another side. Was he taking drugs? No. It couldn't be…but the small bottle in his inner coat pocket says otherwise and he wonders if perhaps he had already lost it, his mind._

"_Padroncino." Sergio deep voice brought him back from his own personal world and he send the man a thankful glance._

"_Y-yes? What is it?"_

_Sergio frowned at the question, worried about his master's health. The raven haired man he had been watching over had been acting very strange as of late. He blame this strangeness on Tsunayoshi Sawada since it was only after the boy continually denial of his master's presence that his master had become like this. Always tired and stress out. Always drifting off into his own mind, thinking about things that Sergio would never figured out._

"_Nana, the woman I had assigned to watches over Tsunayoshi had suggested that perhaps it would do the boy well if he could go outside. What do you think about going on a trip with the boy, Padroncino?"_

"_A trip?" he looked thrilled for a split second before a scrunched up frown marred his face, "No…although, I would love to go out with Tsunayoshi on a trip, I am sure he would try to escape from me once we are out. _

_I cannot allow Tsuna to leave my side! No, Tsuna must not leave this manor. Sergio tell Nana her suggestion is not accepted."_

"_Understood."_

* * *

><p>"<em>How dare she?" Vincentio screamed into the phone as news of Tsuna's escape once more reached him. Only this time, his escape had not been done alone. That woman, Nana, had taken the boy from his room while he had been away on business.<em>

"_I won't forgive her." He growled, snapping the phone shut. "I will make her pay."_

"_Padroncino" Sergio called out to him, but he, too, was not spared from the heated glare of anger. "A suggestion on the woman's punishment, if I may."_

"_The woman's punishment? There will be no need for that, Sergio. I will kill her myself."_

"_I suggest that you don't, Padroncino"_

"_Who are you to tell me what to do?" Vincentio retorted sending the man a defiant stare._

"_Tsunayoshi really like her. If you were to kill her, he would not forgive you."_

"_That is all the more reason for me to kill her! I won't let her have him!" Vincentio yelled as his possessiveness overpowers his logic._

"_Padroncino!" Sergio was taken aback by the sudden claim. He knew that his master had always been obsessive with the brunet, but to this extend was a bit of a surprise. No. This is no time for him to be surprise! He must calm down his boss._

"_Padroncino, you can use that woman to make Tsunayoshi like you. Wouldn't that be a better plan?"_

"_Make him like me? With that woman?" Vincentio seems to have calmed down some at this implication and he waited quietly for Sergio to continue._

"_I am sure that if we threaten to kill her...no to have that boy kill her, he would give in to your wants." _

"_What do you mean?" Vincentio asked, now completely back to his cold emotionless façade. _

"_We have already broken the boy down a lot these last few months with having him constantly killing those Vongola's spies. I am sure that he would not like to kill another person…especially one that had been taking care of him for the last halve year. If you suggested to him that he doesn't have to kill her during that time..then perhaps he is willing to make a trade."_

"_A trade?" Vincentio looked shocked but as understanding flooded him, a smile appeared and he agreed to Sergio's suggestion, "I will try your idea, Sergio."_

* * *

><p><em>Tsuna was finally his! Sergio's plan had worked and Tsuna had easily given in to his offer to spare that woman's life.<em>

_Tsuna's hands were small, his hands easily surround the boy's as he pinned Tsuna down on the bed. He could feel himself go hot from the contact. Tsuna was finally his—no, not yet. Not completely. He needs to mark him. But how? A hickey, a bite mark that show that the boy belong to him. _

_He smiles as he went for Tsuna's neck. The boy choke back a sob and he frown slightly. Perhaps it better on the lips? No good, Tsuna was, too, guarded against him as he tries to pleasure the boy. It wasn't a problem; Tsuna was now his after all. Tsuna had said he would not run away anymore. He had all the time in the world._

_The moment he released his hand, he could feel Tsuna struggle to break free of his hold, but he was not giving up this chance as he grabbed the two tiny wrists in his own larger hand. The other one found itself reaching inside his own coat to remove a bottle. Slightly surprise at the item in hand, he found himself pop open the lid and taking the pills. The bottle drop against the bed spilling the rest of the content aside._

_Then he found his hand moving downward, down Tsuna soft, pale body as he once more found his mouth against the boy, this time easily entering inside from the scream Tsuna tried to make. _

_Tsuna was delicious. He mentally cursed that he dropped one of the pills into Tsuna's mouth. Doesn't matter, it doesn't do much. It was used to calm him down, he used it as a stress reliever, Tsuna will be okay. _

"_Having fun?" the sudden cold detached voice made Vincentio looked up despite his discontented body's want. That was not the sound of Tsuna's voice. No, it was indeed Tsuna, and yet the tone of voice sounds as if it had belonged to another._

"_Ohhh~ How surprising? You look like you realized that I am not the one you broke." The brunet stated simply and Vincentio found himself letting go of the boy completely._

"_W-who are you?" he asked, his mind providing him with the most outrages idea, "You are not my Tsunayoshi."_

_A smirk appeared on the boy's face as he pushed himself into a upright position, "Tsunayoshi is and was never your to begin with. He had always belonged to me."_

_At this Vincent felt like attacking the arrogant boy, but found his body stopped by the brunet's surprising strength. His eyes widen in disbelieve as the creepy smile on the boy grow._

"_Now, now, you wouldn't want to hurt Tsuna's body, would you?"_

"_Tsu-Tsuna's body? What have you done with Tsuna?"_

"_Hahahahaha! What have I done?" the boy laughed, "You're so funny! I didn't do anything. You were the one who woke me up."_

"_Wha?"_

"_You have been used, Vincent-kun." The boy smirked, "Probably by whoever given you those pills."_

"_There's no way!" Vincentio retorted, not believing the words that strike him as a possible truth. He had been used by the Cervello. But why? What do they want?_

"_Make you wonder, doesn't it…what is it that they want? To stage a kidnapped on me. To drag in a love-strike fool that follow into their play? Hey…what do you think they are planning, _Don Love-struck_?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>What do you think they are planning, Don Love-struck?" that single question kept replaying over and over through his mind as Vincentio realized that he had been used. Tsuna—no that boy had been right; he had been used very badly. He had become the scapegoat that kidnapped Tsunayoshi Sawada while the Cervello stay quietly hidden.<em>

_His family is being hunted down and he was quite aware that there was no escape. But Tsuna was finally his. That one single hopeful thought is the only reason left for him to believe in. Even if he is being used, it would be alright if Tsuna is by his side. Yes, as long as Tsuna is by his side…_

* * *

><p>"Why did you save me?"<p>

Vincent smile at the question, a contented smile as he reached up to touch Tsuna tears stained face.

"I am…happy just…to have you…by my side…" His voice was barely a whisper and he wonder if Tsuna had heard him, "Pl-please smile." He repeated his final wish, hoping that Tsuna would at least give him one single smile. Just one, no matter how fake, no matter how small, just a smile directed _at_ him.

"Why?" Tsuna choked against the sobs, "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you telling me you are happy? Why do you torture me even now? Why are you TELLING ME TO SMILE AT YOUR DEATH?" Tsuna screamed at him with hateful tears.

"Why are you asking me to smile when you know I can't with someone dying before my eyes?" he cried. No longer caring that he was holding onto the slowly dying body in his arms. No longer caring that Vincent was once his enemy. The one who he had hated with every cells within his body. "Why are you dying in this way?"

Vincent found himself chucking. He was happy that Tsuna was crying so much for his sake. Yet, he wishes once more for the boy to smile. "Please smile, Tsu-chan…"

Despite himself, Tsuna found himself giving the man a smile as he requested. It was hard. The smile felt as if it would crack his face. It was painful; his eyes burned with hot tears, his mouth struggled to keep that smile upward. He so hate the man for dying like this! He was supposed to be the one to kill him! He was supposed to hate the man! He was supposed to get his revenge! Why had Vincent saved him?

"Waaa-hhhhhyyy?" Tsuna smiled dropped from his face as once again the tears overflowed from his eyes.

"Because…" Vincent weak voice just barely reached him as he continued to cry for the man's sake, "I…love…you…Tsu-na-yoshi Sa-wa-da…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hmmm? I wonder if anyone had guessed the mastermind were the Cervello before this chapter. They had made one appearance before, though not a major one. To tell the truth, I wanted to wait a little more, adding more flashbacks with the Cervello working in the shadow before revealing their involvement in the story but I couldn't wait anymore! I'm keeping the reason 'why' a secret because I plan to reveal it during the squeal, not good if I reveal all the mysteries right away. <strong>

**By the way, did you like the little history lesson on Lillarosa? Since Vincent is the boss of Lillarosa-purple rose with the meaning of love at first sight-I created him falling in love with Tsuna at first sight like with Cinderella. (My favorite fairytale) **

**To tell the truth I first wanted to create a big fat evil boss that kidnapped Tsuna just to spite Vongola, but that changed when I was working on a name for the enemy's family. Vincent is much better, right? Give me your thoughts on him, since it would be the last time he appears in my story. (Waaaa! I'm crying again.)**

**Sorry for the long Author's notes. Please review what you think! Thank you.**


	24. To Each Their Own Roles

**Last Chapter: **

_Within Vincent memory, a hidden secret was discovered: Vincent and Tsuna first meeting had lead the two on a path of love and hate as the Cervello were shown to be the mastermind behind the scene. Tsuna found himself granting Vincent's last wish but it came with mix feelings as the man he had hate confessed his love. _

**Chapter 24: To Each Their Own Roles**

Gokudera watch in shock as he saw that man who had haunted his boss' nightmare time and time again jump before the brunet just as a sharp spinning bullet whizzed into his chest. He froze at the sight, finding himself no longer able to move.

Lambo, beside him frowned at the sight, but the teen didn't look as trouble. Almost as if he knew. No, the teen had probably already known seeing as he **is **from the future. Gokudera wonder what else the boy in cow printed clothing knows. Before he could asked Lambo had spoken.

"Tsuna-nii, stay strong." Then the teen disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke, his five minutes had run out.

Gokudera turned back to his boss to see the boy had broken down. That man's blooded body held in his boss' arm as tears slowly trailed down his face. Who had shot that man? No, it was aimed at his boss. Who had dared to hurt his boss? He begins to look around, hoping to spot the cursed person just so he could blow off their head for their action.

* * *

><p>Reborn cursed as he ran toward the courtyard with Xanxus not far behind. He could hear the man cursing worst than him in all different languages with even a mix of mumble-jumble words as he, too, saw Tsuna on the ground and covered in blood.<p>

A closer looked stunned Reborn into a standstill as Xanxus passed by him unaware that he shouldn't get closer.

Tsuna was not the one injured. The blood does not belong to his dame-student. Those bloods came from an open wound on the unmoving body of the Lillarosa Don. How did that happen?

Gokudera didn't seem to know as the boy search the ground with trained eyes, moving like some kind of scanner from side to side.

Ryohei had been busy with the grunts, only just stopping when someone shout for their boss' demise.

Hibari slide to a stop when he saw his opponent loss the will to fight, instead his opponent was rushing to his master side like the trained dog he was.

The roof! Reborn spotted a glint of light from a sniping gun and head toward there instead. He must confirm Mukuro's information. Can there really be another group hiding in the shadow of the Lillarosa?

* * *

><p>"Tsuna…" his voice didn't seem to reach the brunet as he finally made it to the stage of battle. Yamamoto could only watch as his friend sat there crying, holding on to the dying man. What exactly happened while he was gone?<p>

He had come to the school when his now heighten sense told him something felt wrong. He knew that at school he was able to at least find Hibari and so he rushed here without returning home with his father.

He couldn't believe the scene he saw upon arriving. It was chaos. Battles were taken place all around and Yamamoto found himself froze from fear. This was war. It wasn't like those battles he had to fight before, with the local Yakuza or one-on-one battle. He **could** get kill!

He watched the others fight, cursing his fear that caused his immobility. He has to get to Tsuna's side! He must go help his friend!

He saw it. The flash of light in the distance. The speeding bullet targeting Tsuna's head. He must hurry and get Tsuna out of the way! And yet, Yamamoto found that he couldn't move.

His friend was going to die and he couldn't move an inch! Why was he so weak?

"TSUNA!" The raven haired man screamed snapped him out of his weaken state as he saw the man jump before Tsuna. His eyes widen. From surprise or was it from envy? Yamamoto wasn't sure but he found himself detesting the man for a mere moment.

He watches as Tsuna and the man spoke. He was too far to hear, but then Tsuna smile. It was such a terrible smile, one he found he hate more than any of his own. He wish to never see Tsuna smile like that again. It was such a fake smile and yet it held such a painful emotion of sadness, of hate, of regret…and Yamamoto Takeshi hated it.

"Waaahhhhhyyy?" Tsuna screamed the question against his cried as tears marred his face. His eyes red from the burning droplets and his nose stuffer from flowing mucus as Tsuna cried at the foolish action of the man he hate so much.

At this point, Yamamoto pushed his way forward despite his unwilling body. He must do something for Tsuna.

"Because…" the sound of the man's voice cause him to stop just as he reached Tsuna and Yamamoto realized that he wasn't the only one to have reached the two. Xanxus had also arrival, coming to a stop as well when he realized that Tsuna was not the one injured.

What happened next was not what either of them expected, however, when Vincent spoke his last words, "I…love…you…Tsu-na-yoshi Sa-wa-da…"

While Yamamoto thoughts had been one of confusion since he had expected the man to be an enemy, Xanxus grow with rage.

"I'm going to kill him!" Xanxus growled, taking his twin guns from the hostle to prepare the shoot.

Tsuna surprisingly stopped him by bending over Vincent. "DON'T!" he screamed, "He's already dead! Don't destroy his body!"

"LAIR!" the new voice from not far off caused the three to turn their heads. Sergio had arrived just as Tsuna stated his boss' demise. He couldn't believe it! He **wouldn't** believe it! There is just no way is his boss dead!

"Get away from him!" Sergio shouted, pulling Tsuna away from Vincent's body as he held onto his boss. The moment his hand touched the cold, unmoving body, he faltered. Vincentio Contiello was dead. There was no heartbeat. There was no movement of the chest. His eyes will remain close forever.

"Padroncino!" he screamed into the slowly darkening sky.

* * *

><p>Finished. Done. Everything was gone before he even got there. The roof was empty of any traits and evident that sow sign of people being here just moment ago. Yet, Reborn was not fool. He knows what he saw. The sniper had to have been here.<p>

A frown manifested on his face as he scans the site for even the smallest of clue only to come up empty. Looking beyond the railing, he hopes to find some clues, perhaps an understanding from the sniper's point of view?

"Tsuna…" it was a perfect view of the whole courtyard. Now he knows why Hibari Kyouya loves the roof. He could see everything from this high up, the perfect place to observe or kill without others' noticing you. _They had done their research…no…No way! _

Reborn stare at the area where his student sat, disbelieve and rejection at the sudden outrage idea that came to his mind. That feeling only seems to grow as he watches Sergio grabbed the dead body of Vincentio away from Tsuna.

"No way…" it couldn't be… His student could not have been the target! But he was sure that the direction of the bullet had been aimed at Tsuna. Was Vincentio Contiello the target, then?

"_The Lillarosa Don is only a puppet."_ Mukuro's word came to mind.

Someone else is manipulating events from the shadow just as he had suspected. Someone who had orchestrated Tsuna's kidnapping and even the Lillarosa downfall. But the main piece of the puzzle is missing. Who and why?

"Damnit!" He was only missing those two pieces and the picture would become clear! Who is it that's hiding in the shadow and what is it that he or she is planning? Going so far as to even control Vincent's action of jumping toward Tsuna instead of running away from the bullet. This person was dangerous; he must report this to the Ninth.

* * *

><p>"How is Tsuna?" Takeshi asked his storm counter-part as the two sat at the low table in Tsuna's apartment home. Cups of green teas sat between them, they wallowed in self-pity at the fact that they had not been able to protect their friend despite all their trainings and promises.<p>

Gokudera shook his head with a sigh, "His room was quiet…Juudaime, didn't touch his foods again this morning."

"Haru work really hard on it too." The girl suddenly dropped down beside the two boys with her own cup of steaming hot tea. "This is worrisome…Tsuna not eating. Hey!" She stared the two boys down as a sudden thought hit her, "What exactly happened after he left the hospital? I thought that he was only going to meet with the school's prefect?" she asked with a perplexed tone.

"Tsuna saw someone who had been causing him trouble…the guy suddenly confessed to him." Yamamoto explained, not meeting Haru's surprised expression at the implication of his words.

"Someone confessed to Tsuna-san? And that person is a guy? A _guy_?" she repeated as if the word might have another hidden meaning.

Sadly, it didn't as Yamamoto dejectedly nodded his head.

"That guy did not confess!" Gokudera jumped from his seat as he slams his fists against the wooden table shaking the three cups of teas. He glared at Yamamoto.

"What he did was not a confession of love! He only wants to bind Juudaime to him! It's a curse! A curse that won't allow Juudaime to forget him even after he's long gone!"

"Don't you think you are overreacting?" Yamamoto asked gloomy, "The guy really did seem to only be confessing his love to Ts—"

"You! Shut up!" Gokudera interrupted, "I will never forgive that man! You don't know anything about Juudaime's pain! Do you even know what it means to be kidnapped? Juudaime, no doubt had to suffer a lot under that man! He must have been in so much pain…I can't even imagine what Juudaime had to go through…and now he can never forget those painful memories because of that bastard!"

A pregnant silence descend in the room after Gokudera's assessment as the other two start to understand a little more about the emotions going through Tsuna's head.

At length, it was Haru's cheerful voice that broke the silence. "Haru will make Tsuna-san forget all his worries!" She firmly declared to the two boys, as well as herself whenshe stool from the kotatsu. "Haru will make Tsuna-san something so delicious that he will only think about thanking Haru!" she paused for moment, her hand went to cup her chin in a thinking position, "What should Haru make?

CAKE!" she suddenly shouted surprising the two boys as they found themselves shellshock at her random idea to cheer up Tsuna. She ignored them both and made her way toward kitchen, pulling out supplies from cupboards and shelves.

"Right!" Gokudera suddenly became determined as he watches Haru dash around the kitchen's floor, doing who-know-what with bowls and ingredients. "I should do something too! I won't let that woman beat me!" he shouted loud enough so that Haru could hear him in the kitchen.

She looked up at him at the challenge and a smirk appeared as if telling him that he couldn't beat her. His pride slightly bruised, but his determination only flared at her arrogance.

Stupid woman, I'll be the one to make Juudaime's smile!

With his newfound goal, Gokudera made for Tsuna's door and started pounding on it like there's no tomorrow.

"Juudaime! Juudaime! Juudaime! Open the door! It's your most loyal right-hand man, Gokudera!" he exclaimed happily. There was no way he was going to lose to that woman. He already got a plan.

Part one of his grand scheme to 'Make Juudaime Happy': Get him out of the room…and he was going to use any means necessary!

If pounding on the door and calling his boss doesn't work...

"SAVE ME, JUUDAIME! Save this worthless servant of your! Aggggrrr….I…I…help…" he played dead in front of Tsuna's room, sliding down against the door after a small slam of his body hitting the wooden frame.

While Haru gave a look of disbelieve, Yamamoto found that he wanted to laugh at the storm guardian's bad, and I do mean really bad, acting. The guy literally just screamed for help then faint on the floor.

Nevertheless, the acting worked and Tsuna came barging out of his room. Only to cause the pretend-to-be-dead-Gokudera to really die as the door knocked the bomber's away from the entrance and toward the side before Gokudera gotten the chance to pick himself off the floor.

Tsuna stared at his storm guardian in horror as a dark bruise formed on Gokudera's head.

"Are you alright, Gokudera-kun? What happen? Did someone hurt you?" He looked around the room to see if there were any enemy, only to find a happy Haru and a laughing Yamamoto.

"What happen?" Tsuna repeated, hoping that one of the other two would give him an answer since Gokudera doesn't looked to be in any condition to talk.

* * *

><p>"JUUUUDAIIIIMEEE! Forgive me!" Gokudera bawled at a slightly angry Tsuna.<p>

"You really scared me, Gokudera-kun!" He scolded, "I thought something bad had happened to you."

"I'm soooorrrrryyyy!" He whined, tears overflowing as he seek Tsuna's forgiveness.

"Maa, maa…" Yamamoto inputted, "Gokudera was really worried about you, too, Tsuna. So forgive him. He only wants to get you out of your room. You have been in there for two days already and the kid told us to take care of you…but with you locked up inside and not even eating or making any sound, he became worried."

"That still doesn't give him permission to play dead." Tsuna huffed away from Gokudera's big watery round eyes. Those glittering silver-green eyes look like they belong to a cute little lost puppy asking for a cuddling hug and Tsuna had to refrained himself from jumping his best friend.

_What was wrong with him? He doesn't even like dog all that much!_ Tsuna mentally slapped himself, shaking his head at Gokudera.

At the unforgiving shake of his boss head, Gokudera let out an exclamation of misery.

Tsuna's eyes widen in length seeing his best friend once again pull something out of his invisible pocket on his body. He was glad for a moment that it was not the usual dynamite, but when he realized the use for the pocket knife in Gokudera's hand, Tsuna could swear his heart had stopped.

"Juudaime! Please forgive me! I will commit seppuku!" Gokudera screamed, releasing the blade from it hold before pointing the metal object at stomach.

Seppuku? Stomach-cutting? Where did Gokudera learned that word? He's not Japanese!

"D-" _Don't do it!_ Tsuna wanted to shout, but as he watch the silver haired guardian bawling his eyes out, Yamamoto stepped in to stop him. Successfully cupping Gokudera underarm and preventing his overly rash friend from making the biggest mistake of his life.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera. You wouldn't like to make a mess on Tsuna's floor would you?" he asked in such a carefree manner that just flared the storm guardian's rage.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Gokudera whined struggling to break free from Yamamoto's grasp.

Despite the seriousness of the situation moment before, Tsuna found himself laughing an image of five-years-old Gokudera flail for his freedom from a Yamamoto-nii-chan.

"…Ba-ha-hahahaha…S-st…Yamamoto, ple-please let go of Gokudera...bah-ha…" he laughed unable to let go of the mental image from his mind.

At the sound of his laugher, however, the two guardians did as he told; falling back onto the floor as they, too, join in the laugher at the happiness that soon filled the room.

* * *

><p>"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko called out when she saw Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Haru at the gate of Namimori daycare center waiting for the unruly Lambo to be dismissed from class.<p>

"Kyo-"

"Kyoko-chan!" Haru inturrpted Tsuna greeting as to dash toward her friend.

"Haru baked a cake! Do you want to come back with us to eat it!"

"Cake!" the orange haired girl's eyes sparked with excitement at the mention of her favorite treat and she instantly agreed to join them for tea.

"I got some snacks." Kyoko said holding up the plastic bag she had been carrying. "How about we all go on a picnic instead? Onii-san is at the park training for a boxing match, we could meet him there. Okay, Tsuna-kun?"

Surprised that Kyoko referred to him when she was talking with Haru, Tsuna smile awkwardly at the girl.

"Tsuna-kun…you'll come won't you?" Kyoko rephrased her question as understanding finally flashed across Tsuna features. The girl had realized that he didn't want to go. She had been able to see through the fact that he was still hurting and wanted to be alone.

For her consideration alone, Tsuna decided to put her mind at ease.

"Sure. It sounds fun." He smiled.

* * *

><p>"Did I do the right thing?" Kyoko asked the brunette girl beside her as she watches Tsuna walk off toward the nearby lake. Yamamoto followed after him when Gokudera got into an argument with her brother. Ryohei had gotten on Gokudera bad side, but it was a friendly sort of fight, that Kyoko decided it was better to just lets them work it out themselves.<p>

Lambo and I-pin were playing a game of chase with Fuuta being 'it'. On accident, or perhaps on purpose Lambo knocked into Gokudera's legs sending the bomber tumbling down to the side and Ryohei, Fuuta and I-pin started laughing.

Haru stopped to look up from setting the many paper plates with assortment of foods to see what her friend means by the question. Seeing Kyoko's attention was on Tsuna, she smile.

"Haru think that you did the right thing. Tsuna-san had been coped up in his room for too long." She huffed before sending Kyoko a rueful smile. "Although, Haru doesn't know what had happened…she think Tsuna-san shouldn't be left alone with his thoughts. That's why your picnic idea came at such a great time!"

Kyoko smile at the comfort before once again joined Haru in preparing their picnic lunch. She spared one more look toward the lake where Tsuna seems to have entered into conversation with Yamamoto.

* * *

><p>"Tsuna!" Yamamoto called out to his friend as he walks toward the shorter boy. "Don't mind sempai's words too much. He was worried about you too."<p>

Tsuna smiled. "Yeah…I understand." At length he sighed before decidedly turning to face the lake. His mind going back to what had happened minutes before. Ryohei had touched upon the tender topic of what had happen at school two days ago. The battle with Vincent, he thought was 'extremely awesome'.

Although, Tsuna knew that Ryohei didn't mean to bring about that sudden memory, he still wishes that the man had better tactic. He still felt guilt for what had occurred. The feeling of the cold body still sends his body into shivering fits. The affectionate dark blue eyes looking so warm and hollow haunted his dream. The ringing of Vincent's dying words, forever resounding within his mind. It was hard to be calm.

BAM! Yamamoto had suddenly grabbed hold of the railing behind Tsuna, successfully locking the brunet between his arms. He glared at Tsuna, all trace of the normally dense and happy-go-luck baseball-loving boy gone from his features.

Tsuna looked at the taller teen in surprise, having only seen this side of his friend once before. It was during that time he was watching through Vuoto.

"You know, Tsuna…" Yamamoto deep black eyes were hard to escape as Tsuna found himself engross by the defiant stare. "I've always _hate_ this part of you."

Despite himself, Tsuna felt his heart clenched and he distinctly look down at his feet. Yamamoto hates him. Not that he blame the guy. He did something really bad. He had hurt—no he killed a person.

It wasn't a new experience to him. No killing was just that…it was killing nothing more, nothing less. He had killed many people, but never in front of someone as innocent like Yamamoto who would think killing is wrong. He could understand Yamamoto's anger.

Smiling ruefully at his friend, Tsuna plan to apologize only to look up see an even more furious Yamamoto glaring at him. His smile dropped as surprise cross his face at Yamamoto next words.

"I don't hate you." Yamamoto explained when he saw Tsuna tried to put up an understanding act. The boy, however, was naïve. Yamamoto Takashi never hates the boy himself. "I only hate the fact that you are forcing out a smile."

"My…smile?"

"The Tsuna I like…the Tsuna I've decided to follow is the Tsuna that never tried to hide behind fake emotional expression." A concerned face soon replaces his angry one as Yamamoto grabbed Tsuna's shoulder, pulling the brunet into his chest.

"If you need to hide, just hide. But don't pretend to be happy if you are not. If you want to cry…then let me become your shield." Yamamoto paused for a moment as a sudden thought came to mind and he smiled, looking down at Tsuna's brown mop of hairs. _So that's why you chose me…_

"I'll become the rain that hides away your tears, okay?"

After hearing the question, Tsuna felt his tears wetting his friend's shirt. He mumbled an apology, but kept his head buried in Yamamoto's chest. He needs to be strong, but for now, he wants to be weak. He wants to cry for Vincent's sake. To remember that although, the man had caused him immense pains; he was still a man that had loved him greatly. A man that was willing to die to protect him.

"Thank you Yamamoto." Tsuna pulled himself away after what had felt like forever. Drying his tears on his sleeve as he finally gave his friend a real smile. In the distance he heard shouting and looking up, Tsuna was suddenly attacked by a overly excited Lambo.

"Dame-Tsuna! Lunch is ready! Let's go eat!" the boy cried pulling him by the shirt as Tsuna found himself being dragged like a ragged doll across the grassy field. Yamamoto laughter from behind told him that the boy was following after them. And despite his earlier downcast feeling, Tsuna smile brightly at the welcoming sight of his friends waiting for him to join them.

* * *

><p>"So…Don Lillarosa had been killed." Timoteo, Vongola Nono, sighed as he finished hearing out Reborn's report.<p>

At this time, the two were sitting in his office with cups of coffee to warm their tired body from the coldness of their discussion.

"I regretted not being able to find out who had done it."

Timoteo looked up, slightly surprised before responding, "You shouldn't have to. This was an unforeseen situation that neither you nor I could have predicted. You should not blame yourself for something that out of your control."

"But that it just it." Reborn replied at length, "Tsuna is under my care and yet, I wasn't able to manage this problem. I even let myself got caught." A paused as the baby's expression became one of shock.

"Nono, something seems off."

"Off?" the old man asked. Understand of the hitman's thoughts escaping him. "How's so?"

"Since the beginning I have felt something not right with Tsuna's kidnapping. Questions with no answer keep throwing themselves at me. How was the boy kidnapped? Why was he kidnapped? Why did it take me a year to just find the boy's location? All of these are strange."

"Indeed." Timoteo became worried as understanding became clear. These should all be easy to answered, especially by one as powerful as Reborn and yet…

"That is not all." Reborn had continued, "I was captured. True, but how did the Lillarosa came by that cage? That was some advance technology that I don't think even Vongola had and yet...It make me wonder, was the person who killed him the same one who been helping him? But then why would they do that? What are their motives?"

"It seem that we are missing a very important part of the puzzle, even though our enemy is now gone." Timoteo commented thoughtfully.

"No…You are wrong, Nono. It seems the enemy has only just begun to show their fangs. We should be careful on how we move. Especially considering Tsuna. For whatever their goal is, it seems it had something to do with Tsuna. For now, Nono, if I could just asked for a favor."

"Favor?" The old man looked at Reborn in wonder. "What kind? You rarely asked such thing, my friend."

"Stay alive a little longer."

"Huh?" Timoteo shock doubled at the request as he silently hope the baby would continue.

"I'm worried that this sudden event was created to put Tsuna in the position of Vongola Decimo."

"What do you mean? Tsunayoshi was to be the Decimo on the day he was born. It was decided by the Vongola's rings, after all. Nothing could have changed it."

"But then the kidnapping happened." Reborn countered "Are you telling me that even though, he was kidnapped with a high percentage for being found dead, Tsuna was still to be the Decimo?"

"What else could we do but try looking for him." Timoteo replied with regretful expression, "At that time, the rings wouldn't accept new candidates, so Tsuna had to be found no matter what. That's why we hired you."

"Yes...I remember." A shadowed crosses his features as he took in the Ninth's words. So Tsuna was to become the Decimo no matter what happened.

"Please tell me your reason for your request, Reborn. I still do not understand your train of thoughts."

Reborn looked up at the old man to see him worried and so to give his friend a peace of mind he decided to explain his concerns.

"Tsuna kidnapped took place, even thought everyone know about his position as the future Don of Vongola. Doesn't that seem suicidal, to kidnapped the Don of the most powerful Mafia Famiglia?"

"I see…"

"And let us not forget about the amount of security, Vongola have. If I remember correctly, Tsuna had been captured when he was supposedly still within this mansion, am I right?"

"Yes. Under the watchful eyes of his parents and two guards I placed my trusted in."

"Such high risk…and yet they were able to pull it off so easily. I suspect a traitor. That person might be waiting for Tsuna to come back to Vongola, since he could not have the Lillarosa do the job for him anymore."

"And that's why you want me to hold off on having Tsunayoshi inherited the Decimo position." Timoteo sighed in disappointment. "I really wish to see him again…but if you think it best, I will hold off for now."

"Thank you. I will make sure to root out the traitor quickly so that Tsuna can safely return."

"I'll be waiting for that day." Timoteo smiled at this as he watches Reborn retreating back. "Take good care of Tsunayoshi, until then, my friend."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ahhhhh~ I am finally done! I'm soooooo happy! I really sorry for the long wait. For this final chapter I had re-written it almost four times, hopefully this is the best. Anyway look forward to the sequel, GT: Isle of Aevum (Island of Passage Time) Where Tsuna will meet new allies and enemies. A new adventure and more about his past. Boxes animals will also make an appearance.<strong>

**Thank you so much for stay with me til this point! Thank you for all the encouraging reviews! Also a special thanks to Nekokratik for betaing some of my chapters!**

**See you all again in ** Guardians Trust: Isle of Aevum!****


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